Cushioning conversion system and method

ABSTRACT

A packaging system includes a cushioning conversion machine for converting stock material into relatively low density cushioning material or dunnage and a packaging system controller. The packaging system controller provides packaging instructions related to a part or parts to be packaged and instructs the cushioning conversion machine to produce the cushioning material. In one aspect of the present invention the packaging system controller provides packaging instructions by retrieving a predetermined set of packaging instructions associated with a particular part. In another aspect of the present invention the packaging system controller provides packaging instructions by determining an optimized packaging methodology using one or more characteristics of the part or parts to be packaged. The packaging system also provides for automated inventory control and productivity monitoring.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/038,693, filed on Jan. 19, 2005, which is a divisional of U.S.application Ser. No. 09/966,307, filed on Sep. 28, 2001, now abandoned,which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/096,123 filed onJun. 11, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,877,297, which claims priority ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 60/049,346 filed on Jun. 11, 1997, allof which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cushioning conversion system whichconverts sheet stock material into cushioning material. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a cushioning conversionsystem including a packaging controller, wherein the system is adaptedto provide recommended packaging and/or packaging information to anoperator based on the parts to be packaged, and further to provide formonitoring of packaging supply inventories. Features of the invention,however, have a more general application to packaging systems usingvarious types of dunnage products and packaging supplies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the process of shipping a part from one location to another, aprotective packaging material is typically placed in the shippingcontainer to fill any voids, provide blocking and bracing, and/or tocushion the part during the shipping process. Some commonly usedprotective packaging materials are plastic or cellulose foam peanuts,plastic bubble wrap, shredded paper or cardboard, and converted paperpads. Converted paper pads, being made from paper and particularly kraftpaper, are biodegradable, recyclable and composed of a renewableresource. Consequently, converted paper pads have become increasinglyimportant in light of many industries adopting more progressive policiesin terms of environmental responsibility. The conversion of paper sheetstock material into relatively low density paper pads may beaccomplished by a cushioning conversion machine, such as those disclosedin U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,026,198; 4,085,662; 4,109,040; 4,237,776; 4,557,716;4,650,456; 4,717,613; 4,750,896; and 4,968,291. (These patents are allassigned to the assignee of the present invention and their entiredisclosures are hereby incorporated herein by reference.)

By controlling the conversion machine, such as through the use of acontroller that may be programmed, pads of a variety of lengths can becreated. This feature allows a single machine to satisfy a wide range ofcushioning needs. For example, relatively short pad lengths can beemployed in conjunction with small and/or unbreakable articles, whilelonger pad lengths can be employed in connection with larger and/orfragile articles. Moreover, a set of pads (either of the same ordifferent lengths and/or different configurations such as a star, across or a spiral/coil) can be employed in conjunction with uniquelyshaped and/or delicate articles, such as electronic equipment.

In some instances, a manufacturer or shipping interest may ship a widevariety of parts wherein each of the parts has different packagingrequirements. While a cushioning conversion system, such as thatdescribed above, can provide a wide variety of pads of different lengthsat the request of the operator to meet the differing requirements, it isoften a time consuming process to determine for each part presented thebest way to package the part and then to instruct the cushioningconversion machine to produce the required number of pads having theappropriate lengths. Also, the reliability of the packaging operation isoftentimes dependent on the skill level of the operator, in particularthe packer. In the case of complex packaging systems involving thepackaging of many different types of product with different packagingrequirements, the necessary skill level may preclude the use of lowcost, low skill packers (or operators in general).

Another consequence of shipping a wide variety of parts having differentpackaging requirements is the variability of consumption of packagingmaterials used the pack the part or parts, such as dunnage stockmaterial, tape, containers (cartons, boxes, etc.), etc. Heretofore, themonitoring of packaging material inventories was accomplished manuallyby a person checking the inventory levels and reordering additionalsupplies when needed. In the case of paper sheet stock rolls used in theaforesaid cushioning conversion machines to produce dunnage pads,typically an order for the stock rolls and/or other packaging materialswould be placed with a distributor. The distributor would then fill theorder from stock on hand or place an order with its supplier to directlyship the packaging materials to the end user. Like in the case of theend user, the monitoring of packaging material inventories at thedistributor's facilities was accomplished manually by a person checkingthe inventory levels and reordering additional supplies when needed.These existing systems have been labor intensive and time consuming.

A need therefore exists for improvements in packaging systems, andparticularly in the efficient and effective packaging of parts incontainers and in the efficient and effective maintenance of packagingmaterial inventories.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a packaging system, components thereofand associated method which enable, inter alia, a) more efficient and/oreffective packaging of a part or parts, b) more efficient and/oreffective maintenance of packaging material inventories, c) moreefficient and/or effective usage of packaging material, d) moreefficient and/or effective usage of low cost, low skill labor forpackaging of parts, e) more efficient and/or effective monitoring and/oranalyzing of packaging operations, and f) more efficient and/oreffective handling and/or monitoring of the part or parts beingpackaged. Any one or more of these objectives are met by one or more ofthe various aspects and/or features of the invention which arehereinafter more particularly detailed.

A packaging system and methodology is disclosed which automaticallyprovides packaging instructions to an operator as a function of the partor parts to be packaged. As a consequence, a packaging system, based onan identification of a part or parts to be packaged, produces pads ofspecified lengths to meet packaging requirements and instructs theoperator as to the recommended technique of packaging the part or parts.

The present invention provides a packaging system and method including apackaging material generator and a packaging system controller adaptedto produce packaging material in accordance with the packagingrequirements of at least one part to be packaged. The packaging systemcontroller provides packaging instructions for an optimized packaging ofthe part or parts. The system controller preferably includes a device orother means for identifying the part or parts (e.g., via a part numberor a part identifier) to be packaged, a memory containing predeterminedpackaging instructions associated with the identified part or parts tobe packaged and an output peripheral for communicating the appropriatepackaging instructions to a system operator.

Provision is made for automatically supplying an operator or anautomated packing system with a predetermined amount of packagingmaterial along with detailed packaging instructions to provide forconsistency in packaging known parts. Due to the provision of apredetermined amount of packaging material and detailed packaginginstructions, high quality packaging can be provided without an operatorpossessing extensive packaging training. In addition, the packagingsystem ensures an improved packaging efficiency, thereby loweringpackaging costs by eliminating waste while concurrently reducingshipping damage by ensuring an adequate amount and an effectiveutilization of the packaging material.

The packaging system according to a particular embodiment of the presentinvention relates to the packaging of a known item or a standard groupof parts (e.g., a parts kit). The packaging system identifies the partor parts to be packaged and retrieves predetermined packaginginstructions which are used to generate one or more pieces of packagingmaterial of the proper length or amount (such as dunnage) and providedetailed operator packaging instructions which are displayed on adisplay monitor. By using the supplied packaging material along with thedisplayed detailed instructions, a consistent, highly efficientpackaging process is effectuated independently of the experience levelof the operator.

More particularly, such packaging system includes a cushioningconversion machine for converting stock material into cushioning padswhich serve as packaging material, a packaging controller and apackaging terminal. A known part to be packaged is identified, forexample, by entering the part's identification number into the systemvia either a keypad, a pull-down menu, a bar code reader, etc. Once thepart is identified, the packaging controller retrieves a predeterminedset of packaging instructions which are associated with the identifiedpart to be packaged. The packaging instructions are then used togenerate the appropriate lengths of cushioning pads in the appropriatesequence while simultaneously providing textual and graphical packaginginstructions on the packaging terminal display which aid in the properpackaging of the part by the operator.

The retrieved predetermined set of packaging instructions may furtherinclude packaging material manipulation control information. Forexample, in addition to the appropriate lengths of cushioning pads beingprovided in the appropriate sequence, one or more of the generated padsmay be coiled as necessary by a coiler to provide the packaging materialin a proper coiled form for particular packaging methodologies.Alternatively, or additionally, packaging material manipulation controlinformation may include control data for an automated manipulator such apick-and-place control apparatus or a robotic insertion and placementdevice to automatically retrieve one or more of the produced pads andplace it in a packaging container.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a packagingsystem includes a packaging material consumption monitoring system andmethod which counts the number of packaging containers, the amount ofpackaging material generated, and the amount or number of otherassociated packaging supplies to thereby maintain an inventory controlfunction by monitoring the consumption of the various packagingmaterials. The packaging system compares the amount of consumedpackaging materials to one or more re-order thresholds and generates are-order request for the appropriate materials if the re-orderthresholds are either met or exceeded.

According to still another embodiment of the present invention, apackaging system includes a productivity monitoring system and method,wherein characteristics of the packaging process such as the timerequired to complete each step in the predetermined packaging proceduresis monitored. The system then utilizes the collected data to generate aproductivity report which provides packaging machine data, operatoridentification data and productivity data reflecting the time requiredto complete the various steps in the packaging process. The data may befurther processed to provided normalized productivity data, trendinganalysis, etc.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a packaging systemand method is disclosed which includes a packaging material generatorand a packaging system controller adapted to produce packaging materialin accordance with the packaging requirements of a part to be packaged.For an unknown part to be packaged, the packaging system evaluates oneor more characteristics of the part and determines the packagingrequirements and instructions for an optimized packaging of the part.

Such packaging system preferably includes a device or other means foridentifying at least one of the characteristics of the part to bepackaged. The packaging system also includes a database containing a setof rules and data for use in determining the appropriate packaginginstructions based on the various characteristics of the part. Thepackaging system, upon determining the appropriate packagingrequirements and techniques, communicates the instructions to thepackaging material generator to automatically generate the proper amountof packaging material in the proper order. In addition, instructions aretransmitted to an output peripheral such as a display which includesgraphical and/or textural instructions to provide directions to theoperator in packaging the part.

Thus, according to this aspect of the invention, the packaging system iscapable of receiving an unknown part to be packaged and supplying anuntrained operator with an appropriate amount of packaging material anddetailed packaging instructions to provide an optimized packagingmethodology, thereby providing high quality packaging which preventsproduct damage without incurring undesirable waste.

Such packaging system is well-suited for a private mailing company whichships various items for individuals. An operator brings in an item whichis unknown to the packaging system (i.e., a predetermined set ofpackaging instructions uniquely associated with the item does not residewithin the packaging system's memory). Instead, the packaging systemacquires one or more characteristics of the item such as its size,shape, weight and fragility. The system then applies rules within thesystem's memory to the provided data and determines an optimizedpackaging methodology for the part.

The optimized packaging methodology is transmitted as control signals toa packaging material generator such as a cushioning conversion machinewhich dictates the appropriate container (e.g., size and type), thenumber of cushioning pads, their length and their generation sequence.Additionally, the determined optimized packaging methodology iscommunicated to the operator in the form of graphical and textualinstructions to insure that the part is packaged in accordance with theoptimized packaging methodology.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a packagingmethodology preview is provided to the operator which illustrates thematerials to be used in the packaging process and provides both thecosts which will be incurred for the packaging and the shipping of thepart. The operator is then given an option to proceed with the packagingprocess, wherein the generation of the appropriate packaging material iscommenced, or alternatively end the process.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a packagingsystem controller includes an “expert” system which automates thedecision making in the packaging methodology design process. Thepackaging system controller preferably includes a memory containing aplurality of expert based rules and packaging data. The rules andpackaging data are utilized in conjunction with the data provided by theoperator regarding the part to be packaged to produce conclusions (i.e.,an optimized packaging methodology).

The expert system may represent the system knowledge in the form of“if-then” rules, wherein “if” certain conditions are true, “then”certain conclusions should be drawn. In some cases, the expert systemmay use several approaches for determining whether certain conditionsexist. The system may identify a condition within an internal,established data base or use data from the data base plus additionalrules to establish the existence of a certain condition. In addition,the system may ask the operator for additional information in order tofill necessary gaps in order for the system to make further progress inestablishing the optimized packaging methodology. In a preferredembodiment of the present invention, the expert system uses inputs suchas the part's size, shape, weight and fragility to determine theappropriate container and an optimized packaging methodology. Inaddition, a method of shipment may also be utilized as well as anoperator's preference for either a packaging optimization or a costoptimization in determining the packaging methodology.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a packagingsystem and method is disclosed which includes a packaging materialgenerator and a packaging system controller adapted to produce packagingmaterial in accordance with the packaging requirements of a plurality ofparts to be packaged. For a plurality of known parts to be packaged, thepackaging system evaluates a shipping order and obtains data relating tothe parts to be packaged. The packaging system then determines thepackaging techniques for an optimized packaging of the parts.

Such packaging system preferably includes a device or other means foranalyzing a shipping order to thereby identify the plurality of parts tobe packaged. The packaging system includes an internal database and/oraccess to an external database containing a list of the parts which maybe packaged along with data related to the parts, such as their weight,size, shape and fragility. The packaging system also includes anotherdatabase containing a set of rules and data associated with thepackaging material for use in determining the appropriate packagingtechniques to optimize the packaging methodology. The packaging system,upon determining the packaging techniques, communicates the instructionsto the packaging material generator to automatically generate the properamount of packaging material in the proper order. In addition, theinstructions are transmitted to an output peripheral such as a displaywhich includes graphical and/or textual instructions to provide anexplanation and directions to the operator in properly packaging theplurality of parts.

Such packaging system of the present invention is well-suited for amail-order company or warehouse distributor which retrieves multipleparts (products) and packages the parts together for shipment to acustomer. A packer (i.e., the operator) or the packaging system receivesa shipping order which is read by the packaging system. The packagingsystem, using the order number, identifies each of the parts to bepackaged and retrieves additional data associated with each part in theorder from a warehouse management database or an internal database. Thepackaging system of the present invention then determines an optimizedpackaging methodology based on the retrieved data which includes thedetermination of the appropriate container (e.g., box, carton, etc.) topackage the order. In addition, the packaging system determines theposition and orientation (and thus the packing sequence) of the parts tobe packaged within the container and generates the proper amount ofpackaging material in the proper sequence to package the parts inaccordance with the determined packaging methodology.

According to another particular embodiment of the present invention, thepackaging system may include a pick list verification system. In caseswhere parts are picked by one individual and packaged by another, it isoften required that the packer confirm that the picked items areconsistent with the shipping order. The packaging system identifies allthe parts that should be in the shipping order and evaluates each part,preferably with a reading device, to verify that the retrieved itemsmatch the items in the shipping order before the packaging systemdetermines an optimized packaging methodology, thus saving time andmoney.

According to yet another particular embodiment of the present invention,the packaging system controller includes an expert system whichautomates the decision making in the packaging methodology designprocess. The packaging system controller includes an associated memorycontaining a plurality of expert rules and packaging data which relatesto the packaging material. The rules and packaging data are used inconjunction with the data associated with the parts to be packaged toproduce conclusions (i.e., an optimized packaging methodology).

The expert system may represent the system knowledge in the form ofif-then rules. Alternatively, the expert system may employ a cubingconcept, wherein each part to be packaged occupies (when packaged) acubic volume in the container. The expert system then analyzes thevarious cubes corresponding to the parts to be packaged and determinesan optimized arrangement of cubes (i.e., parts) within the specifiedcontainer, thus reducing an amount of necessary void fill, extra boxes,etc.

The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fullydescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims, the followingdescription and the annexed drawings setting forth in detailillustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments, however,are but a few of the various ways in which the principles of theinvention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and features of theinvention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptionof the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a packaging system according tothe present invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a packaging system according to the presentinvention including a cushioning conversion machine and a packagingsystem controller;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a portion of the packaging systemcontroller according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an operational flow diagram of thepackaging system according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a packaging routine preview featurewhich allows a packer to verify whether the appropriate packagingroutine has been retrieved for the identified part to be packaged;

FIG. 6 a is an output peripheral display and user interface illustratinga predetermined set of retrieved packaging instructions for anidentified part to be packaged;

FIG. 6 b is an output peripheral display and user interface whichhighlights a method of identifying or entering the parts to be packagedaccording to one aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 6 c is an output peripheral display illustrating in greater detaila particular step of a predetermined set of retrieved packaginginstructions for the packaging of the identified part;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating an operational flow diagram for thegeneration of packaging material and the provision of packaginginstructions to an operator for the packaging of one or more parts;

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the packagingsystem including a packaging material manipulation apparatus for eithercoiling generated packaging material and/or initiating a pick-and-placecontrol routine for automated packaging;

FIG. 9 a is a partial top view of the cushioning conversion system ofFIG. 2 employing a coiler attachment mechanism for taking a length ofgenerated packaging material and coiling it in accordance with retrievedpackaging instructions;

FIG. 9 b is an enlarged partial side view of the cushioning conversionsystem of FIG. 2 employing the coiler attachment of FIG. 9 a, whereinthe coiler attachment is operable to be rotated into and out of theoutlet flow path of the cushioning conversion machine;

FIG. 10 a is a side view of a cushioning conversion machine employing acushioning pad handling system such as a pick-and-place apparatusaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 10 b is a top view of the cushioning conversion machine andcushioning pad handling system of FIG. 10 a, wherein generatedcushioning pads are placed on a conveyor belt for conveying thegenerated pads to a pick-and-place apparatus;

FIG. 10 c is an isolated top view of the pick-and-place apparatus ofFIG. 10 b according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating a method for providing inventorycontrol, inventory monitoring and automatic re-ordering for packagingmaterials according to predetermined consumption thresholds;

FIG. 12 a is a flow chart illustrating in greater detail an exemplarymethod of providing the inventory control method of FIG. 11;

FIG. 12 b is a flow chart illustrating in greater detail an exemplarymethod of providing the inventory control method of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a flow chart illustrating a method for monitoring operatorpackaging productivity and providing a productivity report according tothe present invention;

FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating in greater detail an exemplarymethod of monitoring productivity and generating the productivity reportof FIG. 13;

FIGS. 15 a-15 d are flow charts illustrating in detail the operation ofthe packaging system of FIG. 2 according to one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 16 a is a block diagram illustrating a packaging system accordingto an alternative embodiment to the present invention;

FIG. 16 b is an idealized side view of the packaging system according tothe present invention;

FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating an operational flow diagram of thepackaging system according to an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 18 is a flow chart illustrating the step of identifying the part tobe packaged by providing one or more characteristics which characterizethe part to be packaged;

FIGS. 19 a-19 c illustrate various methods of determining the fragilityof the part to be packaged using pull-down menus, a selection of generalcategories, and automated techniques such as pattern recognition, expertsystems and neural networks;

FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating an expert system associated withthe packaging system controller according to the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a block diagram illustrating various pieces of data residingwithin the data base of the expert system according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 22 is a decision diagram illustrating an exemplary method ofdetermining the packaging control methodology using an expert systemaccording to the present invention;

FIGS. 23 a-23 n are graphs illustrating dynamic cushioning conversioncurves used in the determination of the functional cushioningrequirements by the expert system according to the present invention;

FIG. 24 is a graph illustrating a dynamic cushioning conversion curve ingreater detail, wherein use of the curve in determining whether aparticular cushioning product configuration is capable of meeting thefunctional cushioning requirements determined by the expert system;

FIG. 25 is a graph illustrating the buckling coefficient dependence uponstatic loading for one type of packaging material;

FIGS. 26 a-26 b are graphs illustrating the impact of vibration upon thepackaged product according to the present invention, in particular,typical vibration frequencies for differing types of transportation;

FIG. 27 is an operational flow diagram of the packaging system forpackaging a plurality of known parts according to another aspect of thepresent invention;

FIG. 28 is a block diagram illustrating the packaging system accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 29 is a flow chart illustrating a method of identifying parts to bepackaged and determining packaging instructions for the identifiedparts;

FIG. 30 is a flow chart illustrating in a step of reading an ordernumber for a shipment of items;

FIG. 31 a-31 d are block diagrams illustrating exemplary cubingconfigurations according to the present invention;

FIG. 32 is a flow chart diagram illustrating the functions controlled bythe determined packaging instructions according to the presentinvention; and

FIG. 33 illustrates the collection of data for generating productivitystatistics.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described with reference to thedrawings wherein reference numerals are used to refer to like elementsthroughout. In one embodiment of the present invention, an automatedpackaging system and method is disclosed which includes a packagingmaterial generator such as a cushioning conversion machine and apackaging system controller. An operator, wishing to efficiently packagea known, identified part, interacts with the packaging system to producean appropriate amount of packaging material in an appropriate sequencefor packaging the part within an identified container. In addition, thepackaging system and method provides detailed packaging instructions tothe operator in either a textual and/or pictorial format, therebyproviding packaging efficiency and consistency which results in reducedpart damage and reduced packaging costs.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a knownpart to be packaged is identified by, for example, reading or enteringits part identification number. Once the part to be packaged isidentified, the packaging system retrieves a predetermined set ofpackaging instructions which uniquely correspond to the identified part.The packaging instructions preferably indicate the recommended packagingcontainer, generate the necessary packaging material and provide step bystep instructions to aid the operator in the packaging of the part.Preferably, each instruction step is provided to the operator via acomputer display terminal in conjunction with a length (or amount) ofpackaging material generated by the packaging material generator. Thepackaging system reduces packaging costs by dictating the propercontainer and the proper amounts of packaging material. Consequently,excess, wasteful packaging voids are eliminated. In addition, thedetailed packaging instructions reduce the need for highly experiencedoperators since the container, amounts of packaging material, thesequence with which the packaging material are generated and the mannerin which the packaging material is to be used for efficient packaging isdictated and explained by the packaging system.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an inventory monitoring system in which the materials consumedin the packaging of parts are monitored. For example, for a particularpart to be packaged, a predetermined container and a predeterminedamount of packaging material will be used. While the packaging materialsare being consumed during the packaging of a part, the inventorymonitoring system, for example, decrements an internal inventory listand compares the updated list to one or more re-order thresholds. If oneor more items on the updated inventory list (i.e., a consumption list)satisfies a re-order criteria (e.g., falls below a minimum threshold),the inventory monitoring system automatically generates a re-orderrequest to ensure that packaging inventories are not unduly depleted. Inaddition to the monitoring of containers and packaging material, theinventory monitoring system may also monitor other packaging suppliessuch as product literature associated with the identified part, warrantycards, packaging tape, etc.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a packaging systemmay include a productivity monitoring system. The productivitymonitoring system is operable to time the packaging of each part for anidentified operator and monitor the time required to complete each stepwithin the prescribed packaging routine. The productivity monitoringsystem then creates a productivity report in which the operator'sproductivity is provided in an easy to evaluate format. The productivityreport preferably includes an average time required to perform one ormore packaging steps, but may also include normalized productivity dataand trending information, as may be desired, which may be stored in adatabase.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, apackaging system and method according to the present invention is shown.In FIG. 1, the packaging system 10 includes a packaging materialgenerator 12 for generating packaging material to be used in packagingidentified parts. According to the present invention, the term “parts”is broadly used to include a single part, a kit including a knownarrangement of parts, and various items requiring shipment, regardlessof the nature of the part, be it an article, product, component, piece,etc. The packaging material generator 12 includes a controller 14 forcontrolling the various operational components (not shown) within thegenerator 12 as will be discussed in greater detail infra. A packagingsystem controller 16 is coupled to the packaging material generator 12and communicates to the packaging material generator 12 via thecontroller 14. The packaging system controller 16 is also coupled to anoutput peripheral 18 and an input peripheral 20, respectively, and isoperable to retrieve a predetermined set of packaging instructions inresponse to the identification of a part to be packaged, which ispreferably identified via the input peripheral 20.

The predetermined packaging instructions are preferably retrieved from amemory (not shown) associated with the packaging system controller 16 ora communication network and are selectively sent to the controller 14and the output peripheral 18. The packaging instructions sent to thecontroller 14 preferably relate to the generation of particular lengths(or amounts) of packaging material in a particular sequence. Inaddition, as will be described in greater detail infra, the packaginginstructions may further include post-generation packaging materialmanipulation control signals for manipulating the generated packagingmaterial for particular packaging options such as coiling or theimplementation of a pick-and-place functionality.

The packaging instructions which are sent to the output peripheral 18(e.g., a computer display monitor) are preferably detailed explanatorytype instructions which aid the operator in the efficient packaging ofthe identified part. The explanatory instructions include, for example,explanatory text accompanying graphical pictures of the part to bepackaged, the packaging material, the container, etc. Preferably, theinstructions provided via the output peripheral 18 clearly illustratethe manner in which the packaging material engages the parts to bepackaged and how the packaging material engages the packaging containerto properly and efficiently secure the part within the container. Suchinstructions may further include video type instructions including audiodata, as may be desired. The packaging instructions may also include preand/or post packaging information such as instructions for selecting anderecting a particular container, inserting a liner, taping instructions,shipping instructions, etc.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the packaging system 10 of FIG. 1 according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Thepackaging system 10 includes a cushioning conversion machine 12 as thepackaging material generator and a personal computer 16 constitutes thepackaging system controller of FIG. 1. The personal computer 16 iscoupled to an input peripheral 20 (not shown) such as a keyboard, a barcode reader, a mouse, etc. for entering data or commands. The personalcomputer 16 is also coupled to a display monitor 18 which corresponds tothe output peripheral 18 of FIG. 1 and may also be connected to acomputer network. The input peripheral 20 and the display monitor 18 areused for operator interaction with the cushioning conversion machine 12.

The cushioning conversion machine 12 preferably includes a frame 24 uponwhich the various components of a conversion assembly 25 are mounted anda machine controller 14 (which is illustrated schematically) forcontrolling the cushioning conversion machine 12 including thecomponents of the conversion assembly 25. The frame 24 has mountedthereto or included therein a stock supply assembly 26 including a webseparating assembly and stock support bar (not shown) which holds a rollof stock (e.g., paper) for conversion by the conversion assembly 25 intoa cushioning material (not shown). The illustrated conversion assembly25 is composed of plural conversion assemblies including a formingassembly 30, a feeding/connecting assembly 32 powered by a feed motor34, and a severing or cutting assembly 36 powered by, for example, a cutmotor 38 selectively engaged with the cutting assembly 36 by a clutch40. Also provided is a post-cutting constraining assembly or outlet 42for guiding the cushioning material from the cutting assembly.

During the conversion process, the forming assembly 30 causes thelateral edges of the stock material (not shown) to turn inwardly to forma continuous strip having two lateral pillow-like portions and a centralband therebetween as such stock material is advanced through the formingassembly. The feeding/connecting assembly 32, including a pair of meshedgear-like members (gears) in the illustrated cushioning conversionmachine, performs a feeding, e.g., pulling, function by drawing thecontinuous strip through the nip of the two cooperating and opposinggears of the feeding/connecting assembly 32 by drawing the stockmaterial through the forming assembly 30 for a duration which isdetermined by the length of time that the feed motor 34 rotates theopposed gears. The feeding/connecting assembly 32 additionally performsa “connecting” function as the two opposed gears coin the central bandof the continuous strip as it passes therethrough to form a coinedstrip. As the coined strip travels downstream through thefeeding/connecting assembly 32, the cutting assembly 36 cuts the stripinto sections of a desired length. These cut sections exit from thepost-cutting constraining assembly 42 and are then available for use inthe packaging of the part.

The machine controller 14 is preferably a microprocessor basedprogrammable controller such as that described in co-owned U.S. patentapplication Ser. Nos. 08/482,015 and 08/279,149, filed Jun. 7, 1995 andJul. 22, 1994, respectively, both entitled “Cushioning ConversionMachine” which are incorporated herein by reference. The machinecontroller 14 controls the operation of the various components of thecushioning conversion machine 12 (e.g., the feeding/connecting assembly32, or more specifically the feed motor 34, and the cutting assembly 36,or more specifically the cut motor, etc.) to form one or more pads ofparticular lengths in accordance with a number of control signal inputs.Such control signal inputs may include inputs from machine sensors, suchas maybe employed to detect jams or accurately measure pad lengthformation, for example, and inputs from the personal computer 16 (i.e.,the packaging system controller) via a control line 44. Specifically,when it is desired that an appropriate length of pad be formed, themachine controller 14 causes power to be supplied to the feed motor 34for a duration which is sufficient for the conversion assembly 25 toproduce the desired length of pad. Power to the feed motor 34 is thendisabled and the machine controller 14 causes the cut motor clutch 40 toengage the cut motor 38 with the cutting assembly 36 to sever the pad atthe desired length.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a detailed block diagram of the packagingsystem controller 16 of FIG. 1 is shown in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention. The packaging system controller 16preferably includes a central processing unit (CPU) 50 which is coupledto a bus 52. The CPU or processor 50 can be any of a plurality ofprocessors, such as a Pentium™, a Power PC™, Sparc™, or any othersimilar and compatible processor. The CPU 50 functions to performvarious operations described herein as well as carries out otheroperations related to the packaging system controller 16. The manner inwhich the CPU 50 can be programmed to carry out the functions relatingto the present invention will be readily apparent to those havingordinary skill in the art based on the description provided herein. Thebus 52 includes a plurality of signal lines 54 for conveying addresses,data and control between the CPU 50 and a number of system buscomponents. The other system bus components include a memory 58(including a random access memory (RAM) 60 and a read only memory (ROM)62) and a plurality of ports for connection to a variety of input/output(I/O) devices which collectively comprise the output peripheral 18 andthe input peripheral 20, respectively. The memory 58 serves as datastorage and may store appropriate operating code to be executed by theCPU 50 for carrying out the functions described herein.

The RAM 60, hard drive 78 or other type storage medium provides programinstruction storage, working memory for the CPU 50 and the predeterminedpackaging instructions associated with the particular parts to bepackaged. Preferably, the packaging instructions correspond to the partsto be packaged through a look-up table, however, other storage andretrieval techniques such as an algorithmic search engine arecontemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention. Forexample, the predetermined packaging instructions may be stored on thehard drive 78 or other data storage medium (e.g., a CD ROM) and beaccessed by the CPU 50 according to program instructions within the RAM60.

The ROM 62 contains software instructions known as the basicinput/output system (BIOS) for performing interface operations with theI/O devices. Also stored in the ROM 62 is a software routine whichoperates to load a boot program. The boot program will typically beexecuted when the packaging system controller 16 is powered on or wheninitialization of the packaging system controller 16 is needed.

The I/O devices include basic devices such as data storage devices(e.g., floppy discs, tape drives, CD ROMs, hard discs, etc.). Typically,the I/O devices communicate with the CPU 50 by generating interrupts.The CPU 50 distinguishes interrupts from among the I/O devices throughindividual interrupt codes assigned thereto. Response of the CPU 50 tothe I/O device interrupts differ, among other things, on the devicesgenerating the interrupts. Interrupt vectors may also be provided todirect the CPU 50 to different interrupt handling routines.

The interrupt vectors are generated during initialization (i.e., bootup) of the packaging system controller 16 by execution of the BIOS.Because responses of the CPU 50 to device interrupts may need to bechanged from time to time, the interrupt vectors may need to be modifiedfrom time to time in order to direct the CPU 50 to different interrupthandling routines. To allow for the modification of the interruptvectors, they are stored in the RAM 60 during operation of the packagingsystem controller 16.

A disk control subsystem 70 bi-directionally couples one or more diskdrives 72 (e.g., floppy disk drives, CD ROM drives, etc.) to the systembus 52. The disc drive 72 works in conjunction with a removable storagemedium such as a floppy diskette or CD ROM. A hard drive controlsubsystem 76 bi-directionally couples a rotating fixed disk or harddrive 78 to the system bus 52. The hard drive control subsystem 76 andhard drive 78 provide mass storage for CPU instruction data, forexample.

The disk drive 72 and disk control subsystem 70 may be utilized todownload one or more pieces of data to the RAM 60 or system hard drive78. For each part or collection of parts, for example, data relating tothe proper container to be used for packaging, the part identificationnumber, the packaging material generation control requirements (both theamount and sequencing) and user packaging instructions (including text,graphics, digital photos and/or video data) may be provided. Thereforeas the packaging requirements change or additional parts are required tobe packaged, the packaging system controller 16 can by dynamicallyupdated.

A terminal control subsystem 86 is also coupled to the bus 52 andprovides output to the output peripheral 18, typically a CRT monitor,and receives inputs from a manual input device 20 such as a keyboard.Manual input may also be provided by a pointing device such as a mouseor other type input peripherals such as a bar code reader. In addition,the input device 20 may include a microphone for receiving voiceinstructions and be processed by the CPU 50 according to voicerecognition techniques as is well known by those skilled in the art.Further, the input peripheral 20 may include a touch activated displaysuch as a capacitive touch screen. Any type of data input device iscontemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention.

A network adapter 90 is provided for coupling the packaging controller16 to a network. Such a network adapter 90 is coupled to the system bus52 and allows for providing communication linkage to other systemseither local or remote to the packaging system 10. In addition, othertypes of computer hardware may also be connected to the bus 52. Forexample, a modem 91 may be provided for transmitting, according toinstructions provided by the CPU 50, various pieces of information suchas re-order requests to inventory distributors for updating inventoriesin the event that re-order thresholds are satisfied.

Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a method 100 is provided in which thepackaging system 10 of FIG. 1 provides packaging material and packaginginstructions to a user. The method 100 preferably begins with the entryof an identification number of a known part to be packaged at step 102.The identification step 102 may be carried out in a number of ways. Forexample, the part may have a part identification number on it which maybe manually input to the packaging system controller 16 via the inputperipheral 20 such as by typing the part number into the system using akeyboard or keypad. Alternatively, a pull-down menu illustrated on theoutput peripheral 18 (e.g., the computer display) may be accessed usinga mouse as the input peripheral 20. The pull-down menu may include alist of all the known parts which have associated sets of predeterminedpackaging instructions in the packaging system 10. By selecting the partnumber in the pull-down menu using the mouse, the part to be packagingis identified.

In yet another alternative method of entering the part to be packaged,step 102 may include reading the part identification number from thepart (or its associated packaging request paperwork) using a patternrecognition device such as a bar code reader or a video monitor withoptical character recognition. In still another alternative method, theinput peripheral 20 may include a microphone for receiving audio signalsand the part may be entered by reading aloud the part number into themicrophone of the packaging system 10. In such a case, the microphonereceives the acoustic sounds and transmits the data to the CPU 50 whichidentifies the part using voice recognition techniques. For example, themicrophone may receive the acoustic sounds and convert the sounds intoanalog signals and then transmit the data to the CPU 50 which convertsthe audio data into digital data using, for example, an ND converter.Lastly, although a few methods of identifying the part 102 are describedabove, it should be understood that other methods exist for identifyingthe part and each is contemplated as falling within the scope of thepresent invention.

Once the part is entered, the CPU 50, according to the programmedinstructions within the RAM 60, retrieves a packaging controlmethodology which includes a predetermined set of packaging instructionswhich are associated with the identified part as step 104. The data usedis retrieved from an associated memory such as the hard drive 78 or adata recording medium in the disk drive 72 or the network drive. Forexample, the instructions may be stored on the hard drive 78 or on a CDROM in the disk drive 72. Upon identifying the part to be packaged, theCPU 50 retrieves the packaging instructions associated with the part atstep 104.

In a preferred method of the present invention, the CPU 50 uses alook-up table or an algorithmic search engine to retrieve thepredetermined packaging instructions. In such a method, each part numberis tied to an address space which contains the packaging instructionsassociated with the part number. The CPU 50, using the addressescorresponding to the address space, retrieves the instructions anddiscriminates which instructions pertain to packaging material generatorcontrol instructions and which are directed toward operator packaginginstructions. According to the present invention the term “operator” isused to broadly mean anyone interfacing with the packaging system andmay include, for example, a packer, a customer, a user, a supervisor,etc.

The CPU 50 sends the instructions directed to packaging materialgenerator control to the controller 14 of the packaging materialgenerator 12 to initiate the generation of the appropriate amount ofpackaging material in the proper sequence. For example, in the preferredembodiment of the present invention, the packaging material generator 12is a cushioning conversion machine. In such a case, the controlinstructions to the controller 14 will dictate how many cushioning padsto produce to properly package the part, the proper length for each padand the order or sequence in which the pads will be produced. Thereforethe retrieved packaging instructions from the CPU 50 will provide forthe control of the packaging material generator at step 108 of FIG. 4.

The CPU 50 also sends the instructions directed to the operator to theoutput peripheral 18 (preferably a computer display) to provide step bystep explanatory instructions at step 110 to ensure that the packagingmaterial generated by the generator 12 is properly used in packaging thepart and that the part is being packaged in the proper container.Preferably, the instructions consist of text and graphics data which areused by the CPU 50 to drive the output peripheral 18 and thereby providepictorial outputs with accompanying textual instructions. In addition,the instructions are preferably provided in a sequence which correspondto the order in which the packaging material is generated. Although thepreferred embodiment of the present invention provides the packaginginstructions at step 110 using graphics and text, the packaginginstructions may also further include video and/or audio data for thepackaging instructions. Any form of packaging instructions iscontemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention.

Therefore if the identified part to be packaged requires three pieces ofcushioning pads to be generated in lengths of 12″, 18″ and 15″,respectively, the packaging instructions which are retrieved by the CPU50 will result in a generation of a 12″ cushioning pad while a graphicalillustration with an accompanying textual explanation of how to use the12″ pad to properly package the part will be provided on the display 18.Once the operator takes the 12″ pad, the cushioning conversion machine12 detects the condition (preferably through use of a sensor) and thenautomatically generates the next pad (the 18″ pad) according to thepredetermined packaging instructions, while a graphical illustrationwith accompanying text is provided on the display 18 to illustrate howto properly utilize the generated pad. Lastly, after the second pad istaken by the operator, the last pad is produced by the cushioningconversion machine 12 with its associated instructions on the display toillustrate how to complete the packaging process. Consequently, thepresent invention ensures that the proper packaging container and theproper amount of packaging material is used in the packaging of anidentified part. In addition, the packaging system 10 provides theproper amount of packaging material in the proper sequence and providesguidance in the packaging of a part within the proper container toensure that the part is efficiently packaged independently of theexperienced level of the operator. Furthermore, the present inventionresults in the elimination of waste packaging material, enablespackaging consistency and reduces packaging damage.

In the above example, a cushioning conversion machine was used as thepackaging material generator 12. Although a cushioning conversionmachine is used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention,the packaging system 10 may also be used in conjunction with other typesof packaging material generators or dispensers, such as styrofoam peanutgenerators and/or dispensers, bubble-wrap generators and/or dispensers,air pad machines, void fill generators (e.g., material shredders), etc.Any type of packaging material generator and/or dispenser iscontemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention. Inaddition, in the above example, the packaging instructions of step 110were limited to identifying the proper packaging container and how toutilize the generated packaging material to pack the identified part.The packaging instructions may, however, include additional instructionssuch as specifying which type of packaging tape or sealer to use inclosing the container, how to seal the container using the tape, whetherdocumentation is to be included within the container and what type ofmailing label to use. In addition, the packaging instructions mayinclude pre-packaging instructions such as instructions relating to theselection and erection of the proper container, etc.

In addition to the features of FIG. 4, the method 100 may also include apreview feature, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Once the known part to bepackaged is identified (step 102) and the CPU 50 retrieves the packagingcontrol methodology (i.e., the packaging instructions, step 104), theCPU 50 sends the packaging preview data to the output peripheral 18which allows the operator to view the identified part and all the stepsinvolved in the packaging process at step 112. The preview featureallows the operator to verify whether or not the proper part has beenidentified at step 114. For example, if after reviewing the displaypackaging preview at step 112 the operator determines that the wrongpart has been identified (i.e., the part identification number wasincorrectly entered, etc.), the operator can return to the beginning ofthe method 100 and repeat the step of identifying the part to bepackaged at step 102 (i.e., re-enter the part identification number)prior to generating any packaging material, thereby avoiding potentialwaste. If, however, the operator verifies through use of the previewscreen that the identified part is the correct part at step 114, themethod 100 continues and the CPU 50 sends the predetermined instructionsto the controller 14 and display 18 (steps 108 and 110) for thepackaging of the identified part.

The method 100 of FIG. 5 is illustrated in greater detail according toan exemplary embodiment of the preview display feature shown in FIGS. 6a-6 c and in the flow chart of FIG. 7. FIG. 6 a is an exemplary displayscreen on the output peripheral 18. FIG. 6 a preferably includes awindows-type display interface 120 having a part identification window122, a part title box 124 and a box number window 126 for displaying theproper packaging container which corresponds to the identified part. Theinterface 120 further includes a window 128 which allows a user toindicate how many of the identified parts are to be packaged and apreview window 130 which illustrates a preview of the packaging processassociated with the identified part. The preview window 130 includes,for each step in the packaging process, a step identifier 132 a, apackaging material amount identifier 132 b, a window 132 c whichindicates the number of pads required to complete the identified step,and a packaging illustration box 132 d. Lastly, the interface 120includes a preview acceptance window 134 which allows a user, afterreviewing the preview window 130, to verify that the packaginginstructions are correct (“Accept”) or exit the process (“Exit”).

Once the part to be packaged is entered, however, the CPU 50 retrievesthe packaging instructions and inputs the various pieces of data ontothe screen as shown in FIG. 6 a such as the identification of thepackaging container and the box number window 126 and the name of thepart in the part title box 124. Preferably, the number of parts to bepackaged is manually input into the box 128, however, the presentinvention may automatically receive such data when reading the partidentification number or, alternatively, an order, job or lot number. Inaddition, the preview of the packaging methodology for the identifiedpart is displayed by the CPU 50 in the window 130 for verification bythe user.

One manner of identifying the part to be packaged is simply entering thepart identification number into the window 122. Alternatively, one mayalso use a pull-down menu using a mouse, as illustrated in FIG. 6 b, byscrolling up and down within the pull-down menu. A user may then selectthe proper part from all the known parts which are listed within thesystem 10. Once selected, the CPU 50 retrieves the predeterminedpackaging functions associated with the identified part from the memory(e.g., hard drive 78 or external drive 72) and populates the windows124, 126 and 130. The user may then verify the instructions byevaluating the preview window 130 and selecting the proper option in thepreview acceptance window 134.

If the packer selects “Accept” in the preview acceptance window 134, thepackaging system 10 begins the packaging process by using the retrievedpackaging instructions to control the packaging material generator 12and provide the display instructions such as providing pre-packaginginstructions such as the selection of the proper container, instructionsregarding how to utilize the generated packaging material, andpost-packaging instructions such as how to properly seal the containerand where to send the completed package (steps 108 and 110,respectively). One exemplary display instruction corresponding to step110 is illustrated in FIG. 6 c. In FIG. 6 c, the output peripheral 18displays an enlarged packaging display window 144 having, for example,two graphical display regions 146 a and 146 b and a text explanationregion 146 c. The graphical regions 146 a and 146 b may consist of oneor more pictures and/or textual annotations which illustrate how thepackaging material which is produced by the packaging material generator12 is used to secure the identified part within the selected container.The text explanation window 146 c preferably identifies which stepwithin the packaging process is being executed, which pad for the stepis being illustrated (when multiple pads are being used for a singlestep), and the length of the pad being produced. In addition, the window146 c may include further text instructions to further aid the operatorin the packaging of the identified part. Lastly, the packaging displaywindow 144 includes a stop/finish function region 148 which allows theuser to stop the process or indicate that the packaging step iscompleted.

Preferably, the packaging display window 144 uses text and graphics tocommunicate and explain the packaging step to the operator.Alternatively, the packaging instructions may further include videoand/or audio data and therefore the display window 144 may include avideo illustrating the packaging procedure with accompanying audioinstructions. Once the operator clicks or otherwise activates thestop/finish region 148, the CPU 50 returns the operator to a displaywindow 120 similar to FIG. 6 a.

A detailed flow chart illustrating the steps involved in providing theretrieved packaging instructions (steps 108 and 110) to the packagingmaterial generator 12 and to the output peripheral 18 is provided inFIG. 7. The CPU 50 begins at the first part to be packaged at step 150.In some cases, instead of simply packaging a single part, a plurality ofidentical parts will need to be packaged (see window 128 of FIG. 6 a).The present invention contemplates providing instructions for either asingle or multiple parts to be packaged, as may be desired. The CPU 50then begins at the first step of the packaging process (step 152) whereit begins providing the packaging instructions for the first step in thepackaging process at step 154. As illustrated in FIG. 6 a, for example,the first step may include the forming of a single pad having a lengthof 60″ into a coil and placing the coil in the packaging container sothat it underlies the part to be packaged within the container. Inconjunction with providing the packaging instructions on the outputperipheral 18 to the operator, the CPU 50 transmits the appropriatecontrol signals to the controller 14 at step 156 to generate theappropriate packaging material to complete the first step, that is,generating a pad having a length of 60″. After completing the firststep, the CPU 50 determines whether all the steps are complete at step158. Since the packaging process for the part in this particular exampleincludes three separate packaging steps, the method proceeds to step 160where the CPU 50 increments to the next step of the packaging process(i.e., step 2).

In the second step of the packaging process, the CPU 50 provides thepackaging instructions for the second step at step 154. As illustratedin FIG. 6 a, the second step may include the forming of a single padhaving a length of 60″ into a coil and placing the coil in the box sothat it also underlies another portion of the part to be packaged withinthe container. In conjunction with sending the packaging instructions tothe output peripheral 18, the CPU 50 transmits the appropriate controlsignals to the controller 14 in step 156 in accordance with thepackaging instructions to generate the appropriate packaging material tocomplete the second step. After completing the second step, the CPU 50again determines whether all the steps are completed at step 158. Sincethe packaging process is still not complete, the method continues tostep 160 and again provides packaging instructions at steps 154 and 156,respectively.

After the completion of all three steps, the CPU 50 determines that thesteps are completed at step 158 and then the packaging process for thatparticular part is completed and the method continues to step 162,wherein the CPU 50 queries whether all the parts that need to bepackaged are complete. If additional parts still remain to be packaged,the method continues to step 164 and the CPU 50 increments to the nextpart and again begins the packaging process step at step 152. If all theparts to be packaged are completed at step 162, the CPU 50 continues tostep 166 and the packaging process is completed.

As stated above, the CPU 50 retrieves packaging instructions whichconstitute a packaging control methodology which is associated with theidentified part to be packaged. The packaging instructions which areretrieved by the CPU 50 in response to the identification of the part tobe packaged include both control instructions to control the operationof the packaging material generator 12 and operator instructions to helpthe operator properly use the generated packing material so as toefficiently package the part within the specified container.

In addition to the above packaging instructions, the packaginginstructions may further include packaging material manipulationinstructions which provide control functions in addition to thegeneration of the packaging material. For example, the packagingmaterial manipulation instructions may include instructions to activatea coiler to take a cushioning pad which has been produced by thepackaging material generator 12 and form a coil with the pad for use inpackaging the part within the packaging container.

Alternatively, the manipulation instructions may activate apick-and-place apparatus to effectuate an automated system to take agenerated pad and place it into a packaging container without the needof an operator. In yet another alternative arrangement, an automatedpacking mechanism such as a pick-and-place apparatus, a robot or a padinsertion system may be used in conjunction with an operator to improvethe productivity of the packing station. Although a coiling operationand a pick-and-place control functionality are provided as two examplesfor the packaging material manipulation instructions, additionalpackaging material manipulation instructions may also be included andare contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention.Like the packaging instructions, the packaging material manipulationinstructions are predetermined and are associated with the particularpart to be packaged and therefore are retrieved by the CPU 50 after thepart has been properly entered.

Turning now to FIG. 8, a flow chart is disclosed which illustrates anexemplary flow diagram by which the CPU 50 retrieves the packaginginstructions which include the packaging material manipulationinstructions and how the packaging material manipulation instructionsare utilized by the system in providing additional controlfunctionality. FIG. 8 illustrates a method 170 by which additionalcontrol functionality is provided using the retrieved packaginginstructions from the CPU 50. As discussed, the CPU 50 retrieves thepackaging instructions which correspond to the part to be packaged andsends the control instructions to the packaging material generator 12 atstep 108. The packaging instructions also include the packaging materialmanipulation instructions. At step 172, the CPU 50 queries whether thematerial which is being generated by the packaging material generator 12is to be coiled. If the packaging instructions indicate that thepackaging material is to be coiled (YES), a coiler, which isfunctionally coupled to the packaging material generator 12, isactivated at step 174 and the generated packaging material, having alength in accordance with the packaging instructions, is coiled at step176 using the coiler apparatus which is functionally coupled to thepackaging material generator. After being coiled at step 176, twooptions exist, which depend upon the control instructions. In one case,the coiled packaging material is simply made available to the operatorto manually take and utilize the coil in the packaging of the part atstep 178. In another case, the packaging instructions further includecontrol instructions which initiate a pick-and-place control apparatus,for example, at step 180. The control instructions dictate a controlroutine which allows the pick-and-place apparatus to take the coiledpackaging material and automatically place it within the packagingcontainer.

Alternatively, if at step 172 the packaging instructions do not containany control signals requiring the generated packaging material to becoiled (NO), the generated packaging material may simply be madeavailable to the operator for use in packaging the identified part atstep 182. Alternatively, however, the packaging instructions may includecontrol instructions for the initiation of a pick-and-place apparatusfor use in an automated packaging routine at step 184. An exemplarycoiler and pick-and-place apparatus are illustrated and described ingreater detail below.

FIG. 9 a illustrates an exemplary coiling apparatus 250 according to thepresent invention. The coiler 250 may be physically attached to thecushioning conversion machine 12 near its outlet 42, as illustrated inFIG. 9 b. The coiler 250 includes a U-shaped frame 252 securely attachedto the cushioning conversion machine 12 via a bolt assembly 253.Preferably, the coiler 250 is pivotally mounted to the cushioningconversion machine 12, as illustrated in FIG. 9 b, to allow the coiler250 to be moved into an out of the outlet pad flow path as maybedesired. A rotating mechanism 254 is rotatably mounted to the frame 252in the outlet pad feed path in a first position, and when the frame 252is moved from this operating position, the rotating mechanism 254 is nolonger aligned with the outlet 42, and the cushioning conversion machine12 may be used without the coiler 250.

The rotating mechanism 254 is rotatably mounted to the frame 252 andincludes a rotating shaft which forms the center of rotation for thecoiler 250. A capture device 260 is attached to and rotates with theshaft, and a power source 268 is provided for rotating the shaft. Therotating shaft extends through an opening in a support panel andprojects in a direction which is transverse to the outlet pad feed path.

The capture device 260 is fixably attached to the projecting ends of theshaft, whereby it is aligned with the outlet 42 of the cushioningconversion machine 12. The capture device 260 is designed to capture theleading end of the strip of cushioning when the coiler 250 is in aready-to-coil condition. The illustrated capture device 260 includes aconnecting hub and at least two capture members 262 projectingtherefrom. The hub is an elongated rod or bar attached to, and rotatablydriven by, the shaft. The capture members 262 are symmetricallypositioned to extend from the hub into the outlet pad feed path. Thecapture members 262 are sized and spaced so that they have a lengthwhich is approximately as wide as the strip of cushioning product (i.e.,the pad produced by the cushioning conversion machine). When the coiler250 is in a ready-to-coil condition, the capture members 262 of thecapture device 260 are aligned in a plane which is perpendicular to atravel path of the strip of cushioning material as it is emitted fromthe cushioning conversion machine 12 so that the leading end of thestrip of cushioning product will pass between the capture members 262.When the shaft, and thus the capture members 262, are rotated, thecapture members 262 will capture the end of the strip so that theremaining portions of the strip may be coiled therearound.

The power source 268 for driving or rotating the shaft is mounted on thesupport panel on the side facing away from the outlet 42 of thecushioning conversion machine 12. The power source 268 is preferably amotor, more preferably an electric motor, and even more preferably a lowspeed DC torque motor. The power source 268 having an adjustable currentlimit is preferable because the motor torque is proportional to motorcurrent, whereby the current limit is actually an adjustable torquesetting to control the tightness of the spiral/coil. Note that theadjustable torque setting may also be placed under control of thepackaging system controller 16 and thus may produce spiral/coilconfigurations with different cushioning characteristics in accordancewith the packaging instructions. Alternatively, a fluid-power sourcewith a pressure regulator for torque adjustment may also be utilized.Another option is to incorporate a slip clutch into the drive tomaintain a constant coiling tension on the strip of the cushioningproduct.

The coiler 250 may additionally include a taping device (not shown) forsupplying tape to secure the trailing end of the strip of cushioningproduct to the coil. The taping device may be designed for manualdispensing of the tape and manual placement of the tape on the coil,however, an automatic taping device is possible with, and iscontemplated by, the present invention.

When the coil of cushioning product has been completely formed andpossibly taped, it may be removed from the coiler 250 by pulling thecoil in a transverse direction away from the support panel. This pullingis easily accomplished, especially if the capture members 262 of thecapture device 260 are in the ready-to-coil position where they arealigned in a plane perpendicular to the travel path of the strip ofcushioning material as it is emitted from the cushioning conversionmachine. Alternatively, an automatic ejection system (controlled, forexample, by the controller 14) is possible with and is contemplated bythe present invention.

As previously discussed, the cushioning conversion machine 12 includes acontroller 14 which controls the operation of the cushioning conversionmachine 12. In addition, the controller 14 also controls the coiler 250based on the packaging instructions provided by the packaging systemcontroller 16 of FIG. 1. In one aspect of the present invention, thecontroller 14 operates in conjunction with a strip-production indicatorwhich preferably includes a strip sensing mechanism which senses whethera strip of cushioning product is being emitted from the outlet 42 of thecushioning conversion machine 12. In this embodiment, the strip productindicator includes a upstream strip sensor (not shown) on the cushioningconversion machine which senses whether the strip is present at anupstream location at the outlet 42 and a downstream strip sensor 274which senses whether the strip is present at a downstream location. Theupstream strip sensor is mounted at an upstream portion of the supportpanel or on the cushioning conversion machine 12 itself. The downstreamstrip sensor 274 is preferably mounted on the coiler frame 252 and inthis manner, the downstream location is positioned to ensure that theleading end of the strip of the cushioning product is correctlypositioned relative to the capture device 260.

The controller 14 activates the coiler 250 (i.e., energizes the motor268 of the rotating mechanism 254) when both the sensors (the upstreamand downstream sensors) sense that the strip of cushioning product ispresent at both the upstream location and the downstream location. Thisensures that the leading end of the strip of the cushioning product iscorrectly positioned relative to the capture device 260 and that thestrip of cushioning product is long enough to coil. The controller 14deactivates the coiler 250 when the upstream sensor senses that thestrip of the cushioning product is no longer present (i.e., its trailingend has passed the upstream location) after a period of timecorresponding to a time period necessary to ensure that the trailing endportion of the strip of cushioning product is coiled and a capturedevice is properly aligned.

In this manner, the coiling apparatus 250 may operate in conjunctionwith the cushioning conversion machine 12 to provide additionalmanipulation control to the packaging material in accordance with theretrieved packaging instructions by the CPU 50. The operation of acoiling apparatus is also described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No.60/071,164 entitled “Cushioning Conversion System and Method for Makinga Coil of Cushioning Product”, which is incorporated by reference hereinin its entirety.

As discussed supra, an alternative packaging material manipulationapparatus may include a packaging material pick-and-place system 300, asillustrated in FIG. 10 a. The pick-and-place system 300, according toone exemplary embodiment, includes the cushioning conversion machine 12of FIG. 2 and a pick-and-place assembly 302 having an outfeed drive unit304 which feeds a generated cushioning pad to an indexing conveyorsystem 306. The outfeed drive unit 304 contacts a produced pad at theoutlet 42 and pulls the pad away from the machine outlet 42 and onto theconveyor system 306.

The conveyor system 306 preferably includes a supporting frame 306 a anda conveyor belt 306 b which receives a produced pad from the outfeeddrive unit 304 and transfers the pad along the conveyor belt 306 b to aloading station 307 where a pick-and-place unit 308 is located, asillustrated in FIG. 10 b. The pick-and-place unit 308 has an arm 308 awhich grabs the produced pad in a first position 309 a as (illustratedin FIG. 10 b) and rotates the arm 308 a 180° to a second position 309 b(as illustrated in FIG. 10 c) and releases the pad, thus placing the padin a container (not shown). In addition, the conveyor belt 306 bpreferably includes a chain belt with 306 c which create a pocket toalign and hold the cushioning pads on the belt 306 b during transport tothe pick-and-place staging area 307. The conveyor belt 306 b also allowsmultiple cushioning pads to accumulate between the machine 12 and thestaging area 307.

Alternatively, the pick-and-place system 300 may include apick-and-place unit 308 directly at the machine outlet 42. In such acase, the pick-and-place unit 307 grabs the produced pad at the machineoutlet 42 and rotates the pad 90° and places the pad into an appropriatepackaging container. The pick-and-place system 300 is controlled by thepackaging instructions which are retrieved by the CPU 50 of thepackaging system controller 16 and transmitted to the controller 14 ofthe cushioning conversion machine 12. The controller 14 also controlsthe motor 304 b of the outfeed drive unit 304, the conveyor belt 306 bof the conveyor system 306 and the pick-and-place unit 308,respectively. Other types of pick and place type systems are alsocontemplated by the present invention such as the one described in U.S.Pat. No. 5,749,821 entitled “Cushioning Conversion System for ConvertingPaper Stock into Cushioning Material with a Staging Area and a Pick andPlace Assembly”, which is incorporated by reference herein in itsentirety.

The packaging material manipulation control feature of the presentinvention has been discussed in conjunction with the coilers 200 and 250and the pick-and-place control system 300 of FIGS. 9 a-9 c and FIGS. 10a-10 c, respectively. These packaging material manipulation controlfeatures, however, are merely exemplary and this feature extends toother manipulation control functions such as robotic controlfunctionality for automated packaging. Other types of dunnagemanipulators and manipulation techniques include the pad discharge andinsertion apparatus shown and described in U.S. Patent Application No.60/059,290 filed on Sep. 18, 1997, which is hereby incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety. In addition, although the discussion ofthe packaging material manipulation control feature was disclosed inconjunction with the cushioning conversion machine 12 of FIG. 2, thisfeature extends to other types of packaging material generators and/ordispensers which are contemplated as falling within the scope of thepresent invention.

The packaging system 10 of FIG. 1 may also be utilized to provide aninventory control feature which tracks the consumption of variouspackaging items or materials in conjunction with its automatedgeneration and supply of packaging material. One exemplary method 350 ofproviding such inventory control (which may alternatively be considereda monitoring of consumption) is illustrated in FIG. 11. As discussedpreviously in conjunction with FIG. 4, the packaging system 10identifies the part to be packaged at step 102 and the CPU 50 retrievesthe packaging control methodology consisting of packaging instructionsat step 104. Using the packaging instructions, the packaging materialgenerator is controlled at step 108 while an operator is concurrentlyreceiving graphical and textual packaging instructions on an outputperipheral 18, such as a CRT display, at step 110.

As each part is packaged, various items associated with the packagingprocess are consumed. For example, each part is packaged within aparticular packaging container or box and each part uses a specifiedamount of packaging material. In addition, the packaging of the partalso includes the use of a specified amount of packaging tape dependingon the specified container size as well as other materials such as theinsertion of warranty cards, manufacturer's documentation, etc. into thepackaging container. As these various packaging materials are consumedduring the packaging process, inventories of these items are depleted.The present invention monitors the consumption of these packaging itemsand automatically generates re-order requests when the inventory controllevel of the packaging material has dropped below a pre-set value, thusensuring that inventories are not fully depleted at inopportune times.

The method 350 monitors the amount of packaging materials consumed bythe packaging material generator 12 at step 352, wherein, for example,the packaging system controller 16 keeps track of the number of eachtype of packaging container used at step 354, calculates the amount ofpackaging material used by the machine 12 at step 356, and keeps trackof the other various packaging items at step 358, respectively.

In one example of the present invention, step 354 is performed when thepackaging instructions have been retrieved by the CPU 50 and confirmedby the operator. Since the packaging instructions preferably identifythe appropriate packaging container, the CPU 50 updates a list within amemory such as an inventory database to indicate that one of theidentified containers has been used. Similarly, since the packaginginstructions will dictate the amount of packaging material to begenerated and used for the packaging of the identified part (e.g., threepads each having a length of 60″ in FIG. 6 a) the CPU 50 calculates thetotal amount of packaging material that will be used and updates thelist within the memory. Lastly, for each identified part, the packaginginstructions will preferably dictate the amount of packaging tape to beused as well as which additional items such as warranty cards anddocumentation are to be packaged within the container. The CPU 50, usingthe retrieved packaging instructions, then updates a list within thememory. As the list within the memory is continuously updated, the CPU50 takes each item within the list and compares them with predeterminedre-order thresholds either continuously or periodically, as may bedesired. If an item in the updated list satisfies its associatedre-order criteria or threshold, the CPU 50 generates a re-order requestat step 360 (FIG. 11). In addition, the CPU 50 may generate aconsumption report using the updated list at step 362 for review as maybe desired. Preferably, the re-order thresholds may be adjusted as maybe desired. Therefore if, for example, procurement procedures change sothat re-ordering may be made at lower inventory levels, the re-orderthreshold may be adjusted, thereby making the packaging system dynamic.

The re-order thresholds may also be dynamic in the sense that thethreshold is a function of the packaging rate. For example, if thepackaging system controller 16 via the CPU 50 identifies that the rateof consumption of the various packaging materials is above a certainrate, the packaging system controller 16 may increase one or morethresholds to ensure that a re-order request is generated soon enough toensure that inventories are not unduly depleted. Likewise, if aconsumption rate falls below a predetermined rate, the packaging systemcontroller 16 may decrease one or more thresholds to ensure that are-order request be generated at a later time since the time required toconsume the remaining inventory will be greater and thus prevent excessinventories from being generated.

According to the present invention, the method 350 may provide are-order request in various ways. For example, when the CPU 50determines that a packaging item such as packaging tape must bere-ordered (e.g., the amount of remaining packaging tape falls below theassociated re-order threshold), the CPU 50 may send the re-order messagerequesting that packaging tape be ordered to the output peripheral 18(e.g., the display) so that the operator can communicate the re-orderrequest to personnel in an inventory control department. Alternatively,the CPU 50 may, using the network adaptor 90 of FIG. 3 transmit there-order request directly to inventory control or the purchasingdepartment over a local network. In yet another alternative aspect ofthe present invention, the CPU 50 may, using a modem, for example,transmit the re-order request directly to the appropriate inventorydistributor or to a packaging materials manufacturer for productionplanning purposes. In any event, the present invention provides anautomated inventory control system and method to continuously monitorthe consumption of one or more packaging materials and re-order thematerials prior to their complete depletion.

Preferably, the CPU 50 updates the packaging materials at various timesinstead of continuously. For example, instead of the CPU 50 decrementingan amount paper each time a cushioning conversion machine produces alength of dunnage, the CPU 50 may alternatively, decrement the amount ofpaper each time a roll of paper is completely consumed and is beingreplaced by a new roll. Such a function can be effectuated by a sensorwhich identifies the end of a roll. Similarly, the CPU 50 can update thepackaging materials list each time a roll of tape is completelyconsumed, etc.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the method 350 of FIG.11 may operate in conjunction with multiple packaging materialgenerators 12. In such a case, the memory containing the updated list isshared over a computer network linking the packaging system controllers16 of each packaging system 10. As each packaging system 10 consumesvarious packaging items, the global list is then continuously updated.

An exemplary method for monitoring the packaging materials (step 352 ofFIG. 11) and implementing re-order control is illustrated in FIG. 12 a.According to this method, the packaging system 10 via the CPU 50 storesa value representing an initial amount of inventory for variouspackaging materials in memory, representing the amount of materialsavailable. As the various packaging materials are consumed, the CPU 50updates a consumption list by decrementing the number associated withthe item in memory. For example, if fifty (50) type-1 packagingcontainers are in inventory (“50” stored in a memory location associatedwith type-1 containers) and the packaging system 10 dictates that one ofthe type-1 packaging containers be utilized, the CPU 50 decrements theinventory number of type-1 packaging containers in memory to forty-nine(49). The CPU 50, then either constantly or periodically checks to seewhether the updated inventory list satisfies a re-order criteria (e.g.,falls below a predetermined re-order threshold) and generates a re-orderrequest if appropriate.

At step 361, the CPU 50 determines whether it is time to analyze whethera re-order criteria is satisfied. As stated earlier, the analysis timemay be constant (i.e., each time one or more packaging materials areconsumed) or may be periodic (e.g., each hour, each shift, each day,etc.). If the CPU 50 determines according to programmed instructions inthe memory, that it is time to analyze the inventory, the CPU 50 checksone or more inventory levels in the inventory list against a re-orderpoint (i.e., a re-order threshold) at step 362. If none of the items onthe inventory list meet or fall below their associated re-orderthreshold, the CPU 50 does not take any action. If, however, one or moreof the re-order criteria are met, the CPU 50 makes a list of items to bere-ordered which may include specified re-order quantities at step 363and transmits the re-order list at step 364 via, for example, the modem91, the Internet, facsimile, etc. The re-order request may be sentdirectly to the operator, to inventory personnel, to a packagingmaterials distributor or to the packaging materials manufacturer forproduction planning purposes.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the CPU 50allows for the operator to manually adjust one or more parameters withinthe inventory list in the event, for example, that one of the materialsis inadvertently destroyed and cannot be utilized in the packagingprocess. In addition, the CPU 50 decrements the inventory list each timeone or more packaging materials are consumed, however, the inventorymonitoring may be provided in a variety of different ways that are eachcontemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention.

Another alternative, exemplary method for monitoring the packagingmaterials (step 352 of FIG. 11) is illustrated in greater detail in FIG.12 b. At step 370, the CPU 50 initializes the list to be updated withinthe memory to zero so that the number of containers as well as thevarious associated supplies indicate that none of the supplies have yetbeen consumed. Likewise, the CPU 50 at step 372 initializes the lengthof packaging material (e.g., cushioning conversion products such asPadpak® dunnage material) so that the updated list within the memoryindicates that no packaging material has yet been consumed. At step 374,a packaging step is performed in accordance with the retrieved packaginginstructions by the CPU 50. As has already been previously discussed,the packaging step includes the consumption of a particular amount ofpackaging material. At step 376, the CPU 50 updates the amount ofpackaging material consumed by taking the present amount within thememory (at this particular time equal to 0) and adds to that amount theamount of packaging material used in the packaging step. For example, ifthe packaging step involves the consumption of a 60″ piece of cushioningconversion product, the length within the updated list would be updatedto 60″ at step 376. Once the length is updated at step 376, the CPU 50compares the amount of material consumed to a re-order threshold at step370. If the re-order threshold is met or exceeded, a re-order message isgenerated at step 380. Alternatively, the comparison function can beperformed periodically, as may be desired.

Once the packaging step is completed, the CPU 50 at step 382 querieswhether the packaging process is complete. If the packaging process isnot complete (NO), the CPU 50 goes to the next packaging step at step384 and again updates the list within the memory in accordance with theamount of packaging material used in the next packaging step. Steps 376,378, 382 and 384 are repeated until all the packaging steps arecompleted. The method 352 then continues to step 385 in which the CPU 50increments each of the supplies which were utilized in the packaging inthe previous part. For example, the specified packaging container forpackaging the part to be packaged is incremented so that the updatedlist indicates that one of the selected containers has been consumed.Likewise, the various packaging supplies such as packaging tape,warranty cards, etc. utilized in the packaging of the identified partare also updated in the list at step 385. Each time the supplies areincremented at step 385, the CPU 50, at step 386, performs a comparefunction in which the various supplies in the updated list within thememory are compared to predetermined re-order thresholds. If the variousupdated supplies do not meet or exceed the re-order thresholds, the CPU50 does not take any additional action, and the method precedes. If,however, one or more supplies in the updated list meet or exceed anassociated re-order threshold, the CPU 50 generates a re-order requestmessage at step 380.

In addition to incrementing the supplies (step 385) after the completionof all the steps at step 382 (YES), the CPU 50 also queries at step 388whether all the parts to be packaged have been packaged. If all theparts have been packaged (YES), the method 352 ends at step 390. If,however, it is determined by the CPU 50 that additional parts remain tobe packaged (NO), the CPU 50 begins the packaging of a new part via step394. Therefore the packaging steps for the next part to be packaging areperformed and the monitoring function continues as was previouslydiscussed. In this manner the method 352 provides an inventorymonitoring and automatic re-ordering function.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a packagingproductivity monitoring system may also be incorporated in the packagingsystem of FIG. 1. A method 400 for providing such a productivitymonitoring capability as illustrated in FIG. 13. As discussedpreviously, the packaging system 10 of the present invention identifiesa part to be packaged at step 102 and retrieves a packaging controlmethodology via a predetermined set of packaging instructions associatedwith the identified part at step 104. The CPU 50 then transmits theretrieved packaging instructions to the controller 14 to provideappropriate control of the packaging material generator at step 108. Asmay be appreciated, the time required to package and the part consistsof the time required to complete each of the necessary packaging steps.The present invention provides a timing mechanism for determining thetime required to package each identified part and the time taken toexecute each of the steps in the packaging process. According to thepresent invention, each piece of collected time data is saved in amemory associated with the CPU 50 and used to generate a productivityreport for productivity analysis purposes.

In FIG. 13, when the packaging system 10 identifies a part to bepackaged, the method 400 initiates, via the CPU 50, a global packagingtimer at step 402, which is used to determine the amount of timerequired to package each part. In one embodiment of the presentinvention, a timer 50 a associated with the CPU 50 is utilized. Inaddition, once the packaging instructions initiate control of thepackaging material generator (step 108), the method 400 initiates viathe CPU 50 one or more timers for determining the amount of timerequired to complete each of the steps of the predetermined packagingprocess for the identified part at step 404.

Once the packaging of the identified part is complete at step 406, theglobal timer is stopped at step 408. The global timer thus indicates theamount of time required to package a single part. After the packaging ofeach part is completed, the CPU 50 takes the time data for eachpackaging part and saves it in a memory such as the hard drive 78 ofFIG. 3. In addition to the time data, the CPU 50 also records otherpertinent information such as the packaging material generatoridentification number, an operator identifier, and a code whichindicates which predetermined set of packaging instructions areassociated with the time data. The CPU 50 may then utilize the saveddata in generating the productivity report at step 410. Alternatively,the CPU 50 may be programmed to time-stamp and date stamp each step andfurther programmed to process the various time-stamps to determine thetime data.

The productivity report generated at step 410 may appear as a report 412as illustrated in FIG. 13. In generating such a report 412, the CPU 50performs mathematical operations on some of the data in accordance withprogrammed instructions to generate additional productivitycharacteristics which are helpful in evaluating greater productivity.For example, for the packaging of a plurality of identical parts, anaverage global time may be calculated according to known techniques togauge the average time it takes for a given operator to complete thepackaging of a particular part. In addition, an average time for eachstep of the packaging process may be calculated. Therefore the report412 allows one to analyze which packaging steps need to be addressed tobest improve the packaging productivity. Lastly, the productivity datamay be used for the documentation of various processes and proceduressuch as ISO 9001 certification, etc.

In addition, the collected time can be normalized in several ways. Forexample, the time data may be normalized with respect to the particularpackaging process uniquely associated with the identified part to allowfor productivity comparisons across various packaging processes. Usingsuch data one can focus on the particular packaging processes that needthe most improvement. Also, the time data may be normalized across allthe various operators to allow for direct comparisons between variousoperators who perform different packaging processes. In such anormalization, for example, a 1.0 would indicate an average packagingproductivity while numbers greater than 1.0 would indicate aproductivity less than average and numbers less than 1.0 would indicatea productivity greater than average.

Lastly, the collected time data may be dated and used to generateproductivity trending information to monitor changes in packagingproductivity over time. Although the above example discussed varioussteps within the process which may be measured with regard to time, thepresent invention also contemplates measuring various othercharacteristics which may be associated with productivity. Each suchcharacteristic is contemplated as falling within the scope of thepresent invention. In addition, while several exemplary mathematicaloperations are disclosed (and performed by the CPU 50) to generateproductivity characteristics, it is understood that other types ofstatistical techniques and mathematical operations may also be employedto provide other types of productivity measurement criteria. Each suchform of productivity measurement and data manipulation are contemplatedas falling within the scope of the present invention.

An exemplary method by which the packaging system 10 may monitor thetime required to execute each step for each part of the packagingprocess (step 404 of FIG. 13) is illustrated in greater detail in FIG.14. Once the CPU 50 has retrieved the packaging instructions associatedwith the identified part at step 104 of FIG. 13, the CPU 50 initializestwo counting variables (“i” which represents the number of parts whichneed to be packaged and “j” which represents the number of stepsrequired to package each part) at step 420. At step 422, the CPU 50transmits the retrieved packaging instructions to the controller 14 ofthe packaging material generator 12 which begins generating thepackaging material for the first part (i=1) using the first step in thatpackaging process (j=1). As the first step is initiated, the CPU 50initiates a timer at step 424 for part i=1 and step j=1. The CPU 50 thenmonitors whether the first step (step j=1) is complete at step 426.

When it is indicated that the first step (step j=1) is complete, (YES)the CPU 50 stops the timer which is measuring the time duration of thefirst step (step j=1) at step 428 and store the time value in memory.The controller 14 of the packaging material generator 12 then continuesto the next packaging step at step 430 (j=j+1; j=2). The CPU 50 theninquires at step 432 whether all the steps of the packaging process arecomplete by comparing the incremented variable j (in this case, j=2) toa threshold value which when met indicates the maximum number of stepsin the particular packaging process has been exceeded. If all the stepsare not complete, the variable j will not be equal to the thresholdvalue, and the method 404 will return to step 422 and the controllerwill generate packaging material for the second step (j=2) of the firstpart (i=1). Likewise, steps 424, 426, 428, 430 and 432 will continueuntil all the steps in the packaging of the first part are completed(YES at step 432), at which point the CPU 50 stops the timer whichmeasures the total time required to package the part at step 434. Thedata regarding the amount of time required to package the first part isthen stored in the appropriate memory for later analysis. The controller14 then continues to the packaging of the next part at step 436 (i=i+1;i=2) and the CPU 50 inquires at step 438 whether all the parts to bepackaged have been completed (i.e., whether i is equal to a threshold).If all the parts to be packaged are not completed (NO) the method 404continues to step 440, wherein the CPU 50 resets the step countervariable j back to j=1 and begins the timing process for a second partat step 422, wherein i=2 and j=1.

The timing of the various steps for the second part (i=2) then continueswith steps 424-432. After the times are measured for the various stepsof part i=2, steps 434 through 438 are again repeated until all of theparts to be packaged are complete (i=the threshold value at step 438)and the method 404 ends at step 442. The CPU 50 then takes all the datawhich has been saved for each step j and each part i and saves the datain the appropriate memory for use in generating the productivity reportat step 410 which may have a display output similar to the report 412 ofFIG. 13.

As discussed above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-14, the packaging system10 of the present invention provides for the efficient, optimizedpackaging of various parts by identifying a part to be packaged,retrieving predetermined packaging instructions associated with theidentified package and using the retrieved packaging instructions toprovide control of the packaging material generator and providegraphical/textual packaging instructions to the operator via a display.

Yet another embodiment in which such functionality may be provided isdiscussed below in conjunction with FIGS. 15 a-15 d. The operation ofthe packaging system 10 generally, and specifically the functionsexecuted by the packaging system controller 16, is described below indetail with reference to the flow charts illustrated in the FIGS. 15a-15 d.

Initially, during execution of the programmed instructions within thepackaging system controller 16, a display is provided on the outputperipheral 18 such as a CRT monitor in step 500, prompting the operatorto identify the part to be packaged, such as by providing a part numberas well as a number of such parts to be packaged. (As used herein, solidlines in the flow chart represent generally the flow of the programsteps and dashed lines indicate the flow of data or messages. Moreover,while the program flow is represented as linear or serial for thepurposes of description simplicity, it is recognized that the program ispreferably executed in an event driven manner with steps being executedin a time-slice fashion.)

Upon initialization of program operation, a database 501 of the part andthe corresponding packaging information is made accessible at step 502,part information is provided to the program in an accessible format 504and initialization of flags, pointers, counters and/or other programcontrol variables is performed in step 506. The operator can thenindicate to the packaging system 10 the part number of the part or partsto be packaged and the number of parts to be packaged at step 508. Basedon the identification of the part to be packaged, the program willretrieve from the information for a packaging process from the database501 and provide to the operator, as a confirmation, a description of thepart which the operator identified for packaging at step 510. Adescription may be in the form of the name of the part or preferably animage of the part to be packaged. The operator then confirms that theprogram has identified the correct part to be packaged at step 512 andthe program begins the process of producing pads (in the case where thepackaging material generator is a cushioning conversion machine) andinstructing the operator in the proper or recommended packaging thepart.

First, a monitor flag is set to one (1) to indicate that the display onthe monitor 18 has not been then updated to reflect the beginning of thepackaging sequence at step 514. The program then checks, as shown inFIG. 15 b, that the required number of parts have not yet been packagedat step 516. Assuming that the required number of parts have not yetbeen packaged, and, as in this example, this is the first time throughthe program, the program will initialize the current step counter equalto one at step 518, meaning that the correct number of pads of thecorrect lengths are to be produced for the first step in the process ofpackaging the identified part. The number of steps having been executedin the packaging process is then examined at step 520 and if the currentstep is less than 4 (for a part packaging process having three packagingsteps) and the quantity of pads to be produced is greater than 0 at step522, a wake-up code is provided to the machine controller 14 at step524.

The purpose of the wake-up code is to inform the machine controller 14to begin looking for the appropriate instructions from the packagingsystem controller 16. Previous to receiving the wake-up code, themachine controller 14 will ignore any codes, such as those randomlygenerated by noise in the input port of the machine controller 14 so asnot to take any unintended action in the event that noise on the linewould match one of the instructional codes to the machine controller atstep 524. Once the wake-up code has been sent to the machine controllerat step 524, a timed handshake function is implemented through steps 526to 532 which ensures that the packaging system controller 16 and themachine controller 14 are communicating correctly.

The handshake function includes starting a timer at step 526, waiting toreceive a message at step 530 from the machine controller 14 andchecking any received message to determine whether the received messageis the intended message, for example, the word “Ranpak” at step 532. Inthe event the message is not received from the machine controller 14within the appropriate time, the timer will time out at step 528, anerror code will be displayed at step 534 and the packaging controller 16will inquire to the operator whether it should try to reestablishcommunication with the machine controller 14 at steps 536 and 538. Ifthe operator does not reestablish control of the machine controller 14,the program is terminated, otherwise the program will cycle againstarting with step 520.

Assuming that a message was received from the machine controller 14 atsteps 530 and 532 before the timer timed out and the message was theappropriate message, the packaging system controller 16 will instructthe machine controller 14 as to the number of pads to be produced andtheir order of generation (step 540 of FIG. 15 c). Alternatively,instead of providing the pad length and the number of pads to beproduced to the machine controller 14 in one step, the section ofprogram code can be executed through a loop in which the machinecontroller 14 is instructed to produce one pad of the appropriate lengthas many times as needed to produce the correct number of pads.Communication between the packaging system controller 16 and the machinecontroller 14 is again coordinated through a timed handshake functionthrough steps 542 through 548, similar to the handshake functiondescribed above relative to steps 524 through 532 to confirm that themachine controller 14 received the length and the number of pads to beproduced.

Accordingly, after the machine controller 14 has been instructed toproduce a pad of the appropriate length at step 540, a timer is startedat step 542 and the program will monitor whether a message is receivedat step 546 before the timer times out at step 544. If a message isreceived, the message will be checked to determine whether it was theintended message. In this case, the intended message may be a carriagereturn 548, for example. If the timer timed out before a message wasreceived or the incorrect message was received, an error code will bedisplayed at step 534 of FIG. 15 b and the operator will be prompted asto whether the packaging system controller 16 should attempt tore-establish communication with the machine controller 14 at step 536.

Assuming the appropriate message was received from the machinecontroller 14, and the packaging system controller 16 is executing thefirst packaging step for the part to be packaged at step 550, theappropriate display will be presented on the monitor 18 at step 552 anda picture of the part being packaged according to the first step will bedisplayed at step 554. If this is not the first time in the program forthis part to be packaged (NO at step 550), a five second delay isinstituted at step 556 before the picture of the part being packaged inaccordance with the next step in the packaging process is displayed atstep 554. The purpose of this five second delay is so that the operatorhas time to examine the display of the first step in packaging the partbefore the display is replaced by the display corresponding to thesecond step of packaging the part.

Concurrently with displaying the picture of the part being packaged, thepackaging system controller 16 will begin requesting the machinecontroller 14 at a set time interval to provide it with the status ofproducing the requested pad or pads (steps 558, 560) and again begin thetimed handshake function (steps 570-76), as discussed above. If themessage has been received from the machine controller 14, the message isexamined to determine if an error has occurred in producing the pad atsteps 578 and 580 of FIG. 15 d. If no error has occurred, the messagewill either indicate that the cushioning conversion machine is still inthe process of producing a pad or pads (steps 578 and 580), and thepackaging system controller 16 will again inquire as to the status ofthe pad production (steps 558-576) until it has been determined that therequired pads have been produced. The timer is then disabled at step 582and the packaging system controller 16 will continue to the next step inthe packaging process by incrementing the packaging step counter at step584 and setting the display flag to indicate that a picture of the partbeing packaged is currently being displayed at step 586. The machinecontroller 14 will then begin the process of producing the pads for thenext packaging step in providing the packaging recommendation to theoperator (steps 520-586).

If the three packaging steps have been completed for the identifiedpart, as indicated by the step counter being equal to 4 at step 520 ofFIG. 15 b, the part quantity counter is decremented at step 588 and thepackaging system controller 16 will determine whether all of the sameparts have been packaged or not (step 516). If not, the machinecontroller 14 will again produce the necessary pads and instruct theoperator with recommendations. If all like parts have been packaged, thedisplay on the output peripheral 18 is returned to the display promptingthe operator for an indication of the next part type to be packaged(step 590, FIG. 15 a) and the process is repeated for the next part.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the packaging systemis utilized in conjunction with one or more known parts. A predeterminedset of packaging instructions is associated with each of the partnumbers or identifiers and is retrieved from a memory in response to thenotification of the part to be packaged. In another embodiment of thepresent invention, a packaging system is disclosed in which the part tobe packaged is unknown. In this context, an unknown part means that thepart, along with predetermined packaging instructions associated withthe part, do not reside within an associated memory. Instead, thepackaging system, according to the alternative embodiment of the presentinvention, identifies one or more characteristics of the part to bepackaged and uses the identified characteristics to determine (ratherthan retrieve) an optimized packaging methodology for packaging thepart. According to the alternative embodiment of the present invention,an operator who does not possess packaging experience can employ anoptimized packaging of the part which insures the prevention ofpackaging damage while simultaneously avoiding the use of excesspackaging material, thus minimizing the packaging costs for a givenpart.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, once theoptimized packaging methodology is determined, a packaging preview isprovided on an output peripheral such as a display. The packagingpreview allows the operator (i.e., a user or customer) to view thedetermined packaging process to verify that the determined packagingmethodology is appropriate. In addition, once the optimized packagingmethodology is determined, the packaging system displays the costsassociated with both the packaging and the shipping of the part andallows the operator to accept the packaging and shipping costs oralternatively discontinue the process.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the packaging systemprovides packaging instructions associated with the determined optimizedpackaging methodology to both the packaging material generator and theoperator via an output peripheral. The packaging instructions are usedto generate an appropriate amount of packaging material in a specifiedsequence for use in packaging the part. Concurrently, the packaginginstructions are used to provide step by step explanatory instructionsto the operator, preferably via a display, in a graphical and textualformat. The explanatory instructions illustrate how to properly utilizethe generated packaging material in securing the part in the properlyidentified container, thereby insuring that the part is properlypackaged in accordance with the determined optimized packaging process.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the packaging systemcontroller which determines an optimized packaging methodology includesan expert system. The expert system includes a knowledge base whichconsists of a plurality of rules and data related to packaging which areapplied to data supplied by the operator which relate to the part to bepackaged to form a conclusion (i.e., the optimized packagingmethodology). Preferably, the rules consist of “if-then” rules, althoughalternative rule schemes such as the use of “frames” may be used insteadof, or in conjunction with, the “if-then” rules to generate conclusionsusing both internal data and the one or more characteristics associatedwith the part. Such characteristics may include, but are not limited to,the following: the size, shape, weight and fragility of the part, themethod of shipping and a preference of whether the packaging methodologyis to be optimized with respect to packaging or cost.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, thepackaging system includes an inventory monitoring system which maintainsa list of packaging materials. As various packaging materials areutilized in accordance with the determined packaging methodology forvarious parts, the inventory monitoring system updates the inventorylist and compares the updated amounts to one or more re-orderthresholds. If any of the re-order threshold conditions are satisfied(e.g., equal to less than a threshold or alternatively greater than orequal to a threshold), the packaging system automatically generates are-order request to prevent the packaging material inventory frombecoming unduly depleted.

A packaging system 590 according to the alternative embodiment of thepresent invention is illustrated in FIG. 16 a. The packaging system 590includes a packaging system controller 592 which is coupled to thepackaging material generator 12, which in the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention is a cushioning conversion machine, as illustratedin FIG. 2. An output peripheral 18 is coupled to the packaging systemcontroller 592. The output peripheral 18 may include one or morecomponents and preferably includes a freight cost or postage meter 18 afor generating the proper shipping cost or postage in response to theidentified shipping destination and the weight of the shipment(including the part, the packaging container and the packagingmaterial). In addition, the output peripheral 18 preferably includes aprinter 18 b for printing a mailing label in accordance withinstructions provided by the operator. Lastly, the input peripheral alsopreferably includes a display 18 c such as a CRT for providing step bystep graphical and textual instructions in parallel with the generationof the packaging material to aid in the proper packaging of the part.

The packaging system 590 of FIG. 16 a also includes an input peripheral20 which is coupled to the packaging system controller 592. The inputperipheral 20 may include one or more components and preferably includesa scale 20 a for measuring the weight of the article or part to bepackaged. In addition, a dimension measurement apparatus 20 b ispreferably included to identify the size and shape of the part to bepackaged. The dimension measurement apparatus 20 b may be a simpledevice such as a ruler which measures the part's height, length andwidth, respectively. Since many parts, however, have more detailedthree-dimensional shapes than a cube, a more complex dimensionmeasurement apparatus 20 b may be utilized. For example, the apparatus20 b may include one or more robotic arms which contact a plurality ofparts about the part and record the locations of the various contactparts in three-dimensional space (x, y, z). The apparatus 20 b, inconjunction with the CPU 50 of the packaging system controller 592 (orusing its own processor) identifies the shape and size of the part. Inyet another alternative, the dimension measurement apparatus 20 b mayinclude a Cubiscan™ measuring system provided by Quantronix, P.O. Box929, Farmington, Utah 84025, U.S.A.

The input peripheral 20 may also include a keyboard/mouse type inputdevice 20 c or touch screen type display, as is commonly used withpersonal computers or a microphone. The keyboard and mouse may be usedto input various characteristics of the part to be packaged and/or maybe used to access various pull-down menus to identify the part orindicate items within a database which are similar to the part. Inaddition, the keyboard/mouse 20 c may be used to identify the shippingdestination, method of shipment (e.g., truck, ship, air or rail) andother types of shipping and/or packaging preferences. Collectively, thescale 20 a, the dimension measurement apparatus 20 b and thekeyboard/mouse 20 c collect various pieces of data which serve tocharacterize the part; the pieces of data including, for example, theweight, size, shape and fragility.

FIG. 16 b is an idealized side view of the packaging system 590 of FIG.16 a. the packaging system 590 includes a Windows personal computer asthe packaging system controller 592 which underlies a desktop work area593 for packaging. Also under the work area 593 is the printer 18 b andthe cushioning conversion machine 12. On top of the work area 593 is thescale 20 a, the dimension measurement apparatus 20 b, the display 18 cand the keyboard/mouse 20 c. Also on the work areas 593 are a series oflabeled bins 594 for housing a variety of packaging containers or boxes(not shown). At one end 595 of the work areas 593, is an exit chute 596for the cushioning pads which are produced by the cushioning conversionmachine 12.

A method 600 for packaging an unknown part using, for example, thepackaging system 590 of FIGS. 16 a and 16 b is illustrated in the flowchart diagram of FIG. 17. The method 600 begins with the step ofidentifying a part to be packaged at step 602. Although the word“identifying” is used to describe step 602, it should be understood thatthe method 600 contemplates a broad function of ascertaining one or morecharacteristics that characterize the part to be packaged while notnecessarily identifying the part itself. Therefore, although the step602 may in some instances be able to gather enough data to fullyidentify the part to be packaged, in many instances a fullidentification of the part will not be made, and instead the packagingmethodology will be determined based on the several pieces of data whichcharacterize the part such as the weight, size, shape and fragility.

Once the part is identified at step 602, the method 600 proceeds to step604, wherein the packaging system controller 592 takes the datacollected at step 602 and uses it to determine an optimized packagingmethodology. As will be discussed in greater detail infra, the packagingsystem controller 592 preferably determines the optimized packagingmethodology using an expert system. Alternatively, however, fuzzy logic,binary decision trees and neural networks may be utilized in thepackaging determination process, and each are contemplated as fallingwithin the scope of the present invention.

After the packaging methodology is determined at step 604, the packagingmethodology is displayed along with its associated packaging andshipping costs at step 606. Step 606 is similar to steps 112 and 114 inFIG. 5 (see also FIG. 6 a) since the packaging methodology may bepreviewed by the operator. Although the determination process of step604 is preferably performed using an expert system, such processes arelimited in that rules may not exist for every situation which may causean incorrect conclusion. In addition, if some of the data is providedvia the input peripheral 20 incorrectly, the packaging system 590 maybase its conclusion on the wrong data. The packaging methodology displaystep 606 therefore allows the operator to provide a “sanity check” toinsure that the packaging method which has been determined is correctprior to the generation of any packaging material.

In addition, the packaging system controller 592, upon determining thepackaging method at step 604, calculates the packaging costs by addingtogether the cost of the selected container, the cost of generating theappropriate amount of packaging material and the cost of various othersupplies such as packaging tape. The packaging system controller 592also utilizes the shipping destination, the combined weight of the partand the shipping materials, and the method of shipment to calculate theshipping costs. Upon a display of the packaging costs and the shippingcosts on the display 18 c, the operator has the opportunity to proceedat 608 if the operator determines the costs to be acceptable.Alternatively, the operator may choose to end the process or begin againat step 608.

If the operator chooses to proceed with the packaging of the part inaccordance with the determined optimized packaging methodology at step608, the packaging system controller 592 (via the CPU 50) then sendspackaging instructions which are associated with the determinedpackaging methodology to the cushioning conversion machine 12 at step610 and to the output peripheral 18 at step 612. The packaginginstructions sent to the cushioning conversion machine 12 at step 610are control signals which dictate the number of cushioning pads toproduce, their respective lengths and their order of manufacture,similar to the description provided earlier in conjunction with FIG. 7.Likewise, the packaging instructions sent by the packaging systemcontroller 592 via the CPU 50 to the output peripheral 18 are controlsignals that automatically generate the proper amount of postage via thepostage meter 18 a, generate a shipping label with the appropriateaddress via the printer 18 b and provide step by step packaginginstructions on the display 18 c. The packaging instructions on thedisplay 18 c preferably include graphical representations whichillustrate how to utilize the generated packaging material to properlysecure the part within the specified container. In addition, textualexplanations are also preferably included to further aid in the properpackaging of the part. Lastly, the packaging system controller 16 viathe CPU 50 may notify a shipper via a communications link (e.g., themodem 91 or the network interface 90) to pick up the packaged item.

The step of identifying the part to be packaged (step 602) isillustrated in greater detail according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention in FIG. 18. Step 602 begins with either weighingthe part to be packaged at step 650 using, for example, the scale 20 aor prompting the user to input the weight via an input peripheral. Theweight value is then saved in the memory associated with the CPU 50 ofthe packaging system controller 592, such as the RAM 60 (see FIG. 3).Next, the dimensions (i.e., the size and shape) of the part are measuredand/or provided at step 652 or the operator is asked for the dimensions.This step itself may include one or more steps. For example, thepackaging system 590 may automatically measure the cubic dimensions ofthe part using the dimension measurement apparatus 20 b and then querythe operator on the general shape of the object (e.g., is it a cube, apyramid, a sphere, etc.). Alternatively, as described earlier, a roboticapparatus may be used to map the outer contour of the object. In yetanother alternative, a pen-type apparatus or a mouse may be utilized tosketch the general shape of the object at step 652. Any method andapparatus to measure or ascertain the size and shape of the part iscontemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention.

The next step in identifying the part is determining the fragility ofthe part at step 654. This step may be accomplished in a variety ofways, as illustrated in FIGS. 19 a-19 c. In FIG. 19 a, the fragility ofthe part is identified using a plurality of pull-down menus. A firstpull-down menu 662 includes a listing of general categories 664 withinwhich the part may belong. By highlighting one of the categories 664 a(e.g., household items), using, for example, the mouse 20 c, a secondlisting of sub-categories 666 is displayed, wherein each of thesub-categories 666 are related to the earlier selected category 664 a(e.g., furniture and kitchenware are both considered household items).The operator may then select one of the sub-categories 666 a (i.e.kitchenware) using the mouse 20 c or alternatively the touch display toreveal another more detailed list of items 668 (e.g. pots and pans,dishes, etc.). This process may be further continued until the userselects the actual part or a part which is similar to the part to bepackaged in terms of fragility. Each final object which is displayed inthe pull-down menus on the display 18 c have a fragility ratingassociated with the part which is stored within a memory associated withthe packaging system controller 592 (e.g., the hard drive 78) which issubsequently utilized in determining the proper packaging methodology.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thefragility of a product is measured in terms of “G's” which is a measureof the maximum acceleration (i.e., the rate of change in velocity over ameasured period of time) the part can withstand without incurring damage(G is calculated as the ratio of acceleration of the packaged item tothe acceleration of gravity, G=a/g). Therefore, the lower the G factor,the more delicate is the part. In one exemplary manner, the G factor forvarious parts is determined by subjecting the various products to aseries of gradually more severe decelerations (i.e., shocks) in order todetermine the lowest value at which damage occurs.

Another method of determining a part's fragility is illustrated in FIG.19 b. FIG. 19 b provides a categorization of fragility from the mostdelicate (i.e., extremely fragile) to the least delicate (i.e., rugged),using six fragility categories 669 a. An operator, by selecting one ofthe categories 669 a will see a variety of exemplary items 669 b whichfall within the selected fragility category 669 a. By analogizing to theexemplary items within each category, the operator can approximate thepart's fragility. Once selected, the CPU 50 saves the G factorassociated with the part in the memory such as the RAM 60. Asillustrated in FIG. 19 b, the six fragility categories may becategorized as follows: (I) extremely fragile (about 15-25 G's); (II)very delicate (about 25-40 G's); (III) delicate (about 40-60 G's); (IV)moderately delicate (about 60-85 G's); (V) moderately rugged (about85-115 G's); and (VI) rugged (about 115 G's and up). Note that thecategories 669 a provided in FIG. 19 b are merely exemplary, and feweror greater categories may be provided as necessary. It is preferable,however, that the number of categories be sufficient to avoid excessive“educated guesses” of fragility, since an estimate G factor which is toolow results in a package being over designed, and thus unnecessarilyincreases the packaging costs. Likewise, if a fragility G factor isestimated too high, the product packaging will be under designed, anddamage to the product during shipping may result.

Yet another way to determine the fragility (step 654) of the product isillustrated in FIG. 19 c, wherein automated techniques are utilized. Thestep 654 begins by viewing the object using a viewing apparatus such asa digital camera at step 670. The data which comprises the image of thepart is then subjected to various forms of image processing using, forexample, an image processor to identify attributes of the part whichprovide indications of fragility at step 672. Such image processing mayinclude, for example, segmentation and filtration, as well as thepassing of the entire image or image segments through trainedclassifiers as is well known by those skilled in the art of imageanalysis. Such classification, for example, may include patternrecognition (step 672 a), use of an expert system (step 672 b) orapplication of the image to one or more neural networks (step 672 c).Other alternatives may include, for example, binary decision trees anduse of fuzzy logic. In addition to step 672, the packaging systemcontroller 592 may query the operator or user (not shown) for additionaldata to fill in the gaps in the classification/inference process. Suchqueries may include, for example, “Is the object solid?”, “Is the objecthollow?”, “How thick is a piece of the object?”, “Is the object made ofplaster, ceramic or glass?”, etc. The packaging system controller 592then utilizes the information provided to conclude the fragility of thepart. Note that the actual fragility cannot be determined withoutdestroying the part to be packaged which is obviously undesirable.Therefore the present invention uses the above exemplary method to inferthe fragility of the item. If, after the querying for additionalinformation, the controller 592 determines that the gaps existing withinthe data prevent a conclusion to be drawn within a specified degree ofcertainty, the packaging system controller 592 sends a message to theoperator via the display 18 c that a conclusion regarding the fragilityof the product can not be drawn and which requests the operator tocontact a service representative for additional consultation.

Returning now to FIG. 18, once the fragility of the part is determinedat step 654, the packaging system controller 592 queries the operatorregarding the package destination at step 656. In many instances, theoperator has the shipping destination information at hand and canmanually input the data using, for example, the keyboard/mouse 20 c ortouch type display. Alternatively, if the operator does not have theshipping destination information, the user may access an addressdatabase residing in a memory such as, for example, the hard drive 78 ora CD ROM residing in the disk drive 72 (see FIG. 3). Once theappropriate destination information is established at step 656, the CPU50 saves the data in the working memory such as the RAM 60.

Preferably, the packaging system 590 also queries the operator regardingthe desired method of shipment by prompting the operator to select, forexample, one of air, trucking, shipping and rail at step 658. Theselection may be generic or may be further tailored to be more specific,for example, by identifying the particular freight or shipping company.The CPU 50 then saves the data in the working memory such as the RAM 60for use in the determining of the optimum packaging methodology. Thedata collected at step 658 may subsequently be utilized to determine theheight from which the product may be dropped during shipping as well asthe vibration effects, which will be discussed in greater detail infra.Such information may then be utilized in determining the properpackaging methodology.

Lastly, the packaging system 590 allows the operator to select anoptimization option at step 660. For example, as will be discussed ingreater detail later, in some cases several packaging options may beavailable. In such cases, by selecting a packaging optimizationpreference or a cost optimization preference, the packaging system willselect a different packaging method. For example, a selection of thecost optimization preference may allow the system to utilize a lowercertainty threshold in determining the product's fragility.Alternatively, when applying a cushioning curve residing in the memoryof data to a set of rules for determining the proper amount ofpackaging, etc., a selection of one preference may dictate a differentpoint on the cushioning curve, as will be discussed in greater detailinfra.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, the packagingsystem 590 may determine two packaging methodologies, wherein one isoptimized to insure a high degree of certainty in preventing shippingdamage while the other is optimized to provide a reasonable degree ofcertainty in preventing shipping damage while seeking to minimize thepackaging costs. The packaging system controller 592 then displays bothoptions on the display 18 c along with their associated packaging andshipping costs to allow the user to compare and thus select one of thepackaging methods. The present invention thus allows the operatorsubstantial flexibility in selecting an optimization preference at step660.

In addition, the packaging system 10 may also include a variable, userdefined (or alternatively fixed) safety margin which takes thedetermined fragility and increases the amount by a predetermined amount(e.g., 20%). With this feature, a safety margin may be achieved forpackage insurance purposes, for example. This safety margin may be fixedby the packaging system owner or alternatively by the user through aninteractive type menu, as may be desired.

Once the various characteristics of the part and the shippinginformation is ascertained and saved in the memory associated with theCPU 50 at step 602 of FIG. 18, the CPU 50 (alternatively a specializedprocessor (not shown) which operates in conjunction with the CPU 50)determines the optimized packaging methodology at step 604 of FIG. 17.According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, theoptimized packaging methodology is determined using an expert system.

An expert system is an information system that supports or automatesdecision making in well-defined situations requiring expert knowledge.Thus, an expert system supports or automates decision making in an areawhere recognized experts do better than nonexperts. Consequently, expertsystems are well-suited to packaging design since an optimized packagingdesign requires a substantial amount of technical expertise andexperience. For example, in designing an appropriate packagingmethodology, one does not merely find a box which is large enough tocontain the part, and then wrap or surround the part with an arbitraryamount of packaging material and subsequently fill in any remainingvoids. Instead, an efficient packaging design takes into account thefragility of the part to be packaged as well as its size, shape andweight and tailors the packaging method to ensure that expected shocksare sufficiently absorbed by the packaging material (e.g., thecushioning pads). In addition, a packaging design may take additionalfactors into consideration such as the compressive creep of thepackaging material, the impact of expected temperature conditions on thecushioning ability of the packaging material, the possibility ofbuckling and vibration effects. The present invention takes the expertknowledge and data provided by experienced packaging designers anddistills the information into a set of rules with accompanying data inconjunction with the data provided by the operator in step 602 of FIG.17 (which characterize the part to be packaged) to determine theoptimized packaging methodology.

The expert system of the present invention produces conclusions whichdictate a packaging methodology based on the data it receives from theoperator. The conclusions follow from the application of the set ofrules and accompanying data provided within the expert system (which isoften called the knowledge base) to the data or information provided bythe operator. Thus, knowledge in the expert system is a combination ofinstincts, ideas, rules and procedures that guide actions and decisions.According to one aspect of the present invention, the knowledge base maybe constructed within an expert system shell which is commercialsoftware product that allows for the efficient creation of an expertsystem. The expert system shell provides pre-programmed modules forentering rules and data as well as modules for performing calculationsand presenting various pieces of information to the user or operator.

The expert system may represent knowledge in a variety of ways.Preferably the knowledge is represented in the form of “if-then” rules.If-then rules are stated in the form: IF one or more particularconditions are true, THEN certain conclusions should be drawn. Anexemplary rule of the expert system of the present invention may beillustrated as follows:

-   -   IF the part occupies a volume V,    -   THEN no packaging containers having a volume less than V should        be considered.        The above rule is used in determining the appropriate packaging        container for the part to be packaged. In the present example,        all the data needed to draw the conclusion is provided by the        operator at step 652 of FIG. 18. In many cases, however, the        expert system of the present invention will use several        approaches for determining whether a given condition is true. As        shown above, the data may be already provided by the operator        and therefore reside in a database. Alternatively, the system        might ascertain whether the condition is true by using data        within the database plus other rules. Lastly, the expert system        may actively seek additional data by asking the operator        questions and/or use other rules to draw a conclusion.

Preferably, the expert system of the present invention is like a humanexpert working on a problem. The expert system uses the knowledge withinthe knowledge base to draw interim conclusions based on whateverinformation is currently available, even if the information isincomplete. When a conclusion cannot be reached, it uses the knowledgein the knowledge base to figure out questions to ask or determines whatdata to retrieve in order to make more progress in reaching a packagingconclusion.

As stated above, if-then rules may be used to represent knowledge in theknowledge base. Not only may if-then rules take on the form providedabove (i.e., naming conditions and conclusions) the rule may contain acertainty factor (e.g., 0.75) which indicates that a conclusion has aparticular likelihood, but nevertheless is uncertain. The certaintyfactor may then be used as another fact and may be applied in additionalrules to arrive at a conclusion and thus mimic the uncertainty which isoftentimes inherent in much of the work that experts do.

Another type of knowledge representation may also be used to construct aknowledge base for determining an optimized packaging methodology. Thistype of knowledge representation is often called “frames” whichorganizes information to make sense of the information and identify anyunexpected features that are present. Frames provide a way to organizedata about specific situations. For example, when you enter a room yourmind processes the visual data and compares it to what your mindexpects. Further, your expectations are different in different types ofrooms. For example, when you walk into a kitchen you expect to see arefrigerator, stove, sink and cabinets. You do not, however, expect tosee a computer or filing cabinet in the kitchen although either mightexist in some limited circumstances.

A frame is therefore a data structure which represents an entity such asa concept, item or class. The frame consists of fields which identifythe attributes for that kind of entity. Each field has an entry or valuefor each attribute which is being considered. Frames can be used indetermining the fragility of an unknown part by finding a frame whichmost closely approximates the part. That is, a fragility value may beassigned to an unknown part if a substantial number of attributes aresimilar to a part having a known fragility value. Similarly, frameswhich comprise pre-designed packaging methodologies for parts havingspecified attributes may be utilized as a starting point for designingan optimized packaging methodology. Although if-then rules and frameshave been described as exemplary rules and structures for representingknowledge within a knowledge base, it is understood that otherstructures or methods for representing expert knowledge may also beutilized and such structures and methods are contemplated as fallingwithin the scope of the present invention.

An exemplary structure for the expert system 700 of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIG. 20. As briefly discussed earlier, theexpert system 700 may reside within the CPU 50 of FIG. 3 or may exist asa separate processing component within the packaging system controller592 of FIG. 16. The expert system 700 may include a knowledge base 702,a database 704, an inference engine 706, an interface 708 and anexplanation module 710. Although FIG. 20 suggests that the componentsare physically separate components, it is not required. Instead, thecomponents of the expert system 700 may be considered as functionalcomponents within a processor. In still another alternative embodiment,the expert system may be remote and be accessed via the networkinterface 90 or other communication means of FIG. 3, thus making theinput/output peripheral a dummy-type terminal.

The knowledge base 702 is a section of memory containing one or moresets of data relating to the packaging material such as the cushioningpads and a plurality of rules and/or frames which are supplied by anexpert. The database 704 is another section of memory used to storefacts and/or characteristics of the part to be packaged provided by theoperator via any one of the input peripherals 20 a-20 c. In accordancewith the present invention, the database 704 may contain the variouspieces of data collected at step 602 of FIG. 18, as illustrated in FIG.21. The various pieces of data within the database 704 include, but arenot limited to, package weight data 712, package dimension data (sizeand shape) 714, fragility information 716, package handling information718, package transportation information 720, and other miscellaneouspackaging data 722 such as compressive creep data, temperature effects(thermal coefficient) data, buckling data and vibration information. Inaddition, the data characterizing the part to be packaged may include acost/packaging optimization preference 724 and dynamic cushioning curvedata 726 for one or more types of packaging material and packagingmaterial configurations.

The inference engine 706 applies the rules and data within the knowledgebase 702 to whatever facts are provided in the database 704 to decidewhat question to ask next, either to the operator or back to thedatabase 704 and the knowledge base 702. Which questions are asked nextby the inference engine 706 depend upon the current goal of theinference engine 706. For example, if the inference engine 706 hasidentified five different facts that all must be true in order toconfirm a current working hypothesis, the inference engine 706 may askthose five questions in turn. If any one of the responses is negative,the inference engine 706 may then abandon the current line of reasoningfor another.

The interface 708 may consist of the display 18 c and the keyboard mouse20 c and represents functionally the way in which the expert system 700interacts with the operator, if such action is necessary. The interface708 may operate as a set of text questions and answers or may begraphical (or a combination) as may desired. The explanation module 710is optional and is not included in the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention. The explanation module 710 is made available to theoperator via the display 18 c as a way for the operator to know how aparticular conclusion or fact was inferred or why a particular questionis being asked in order to explain the sequence of inferences thatproduced a resulting conclusion.

FIG. 22 is an exemplary expert system determination flow diagram 800which illustrates one method in which the expert system 700 of thepresent invention determines an optimized packaging methodology usingpackaging material generated by the cushioning conversion machine 12 ofFIG. 2 (cushioning pads) for an unknown part. As discussed previously inconnection with FIGS. 16-21, the packaging system 590 identifies thepart to be packaged (step 602) by obtaining a variety of pieces ofinformation relating to the part to be packaged (see FIG. 21). Using thedata of FIG. 21 (i.e., the database 704), the expert system 700 appliesthe data to various rules within the knowledge base 702 as illustratedin FIGS. 20 and 22.

Initially, the inference engine 706 eliminates one or more packagingcontainers 802 from further consideration using the size and shape data714 within the database 704. For example, if the part is 24″ long, 12″wide and 12″ deep, then any packaging container having a volume (V) lessthan 24″×12″×12″ (3,456 cubic inches) could not contain the part andthus is eliminated from further consideration. In addition, given thedesired method of shipment and the shipping destination data 720, theinference engine 706 searches the knowledge base 702 for any shippingregulation data 804 which may either preclude or require certain classesof shipping containers, thus further reducing the remaining availablecontainers. The inference engine 706 then moves on to another analysissince additional information is needed in order to make further progressin the selecting the proper packaging container. The above step 802 ismerely exemplary and may include additional rules, as may be desired.

Next, the expert system 700 determines the drop height that the part mayencounter during shipping 806 so that substantive analysis may proceedregarding what amounts, styles, etc. of cushioning pads will be neededto properly protect the part. The drop height is calculated by theinference engine 706 using the weight information 712 within thedatabase 704 and the package handling information 718. Using thepackaging handling information 718, the inference engine 706 candetermine whether one or more individuals will be carrying or throwingthe package and, in conjunction with the weight information 712, canidentify the probable drop height the packaged part would experience ifthe part were inadvertently dropped during shipping. For example, if oneperson is carrying the package and the package is light (e.g., about10-20 pounds) the height at which the package may inadvertently bedropped is high (e.g., about 36″). However, if two individuals arecarrying the package and it is more heavy (e.g., about 50-100 pounds)the height in which the package may be inadvertently dropped is less(e.g., about 24″). In the above manner, the inference engine 706 usingdata within the knowledge base 702 and the data provided by the user inthe database 704 determines the potential drop height the part mayexperience in shipping. The drop height data may then be used by theinference engine 706 in selecting the proper dynamic cushioning curvedata 726 in the knowledge base 702 when determining the functionalcushioning requirements data weight at step 808.

The determination of which class and configuration of cushioningmaterials will functionally be appropriate (step 808) is preferablyperformed by the inference engine 706 using a variety of pieces ofinformation. According to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, a plurality of cushioning curves (shown graphically as FIGS.23 a-23 n with the reference numeral 810) consist of data 726 residingin the knowledge base 702. The cushioning curves 810 are evaluated andif any of the curves contain drop heights that do not match thedetermined drop height of step 806, they are removed from furtherconsideration by the inference engine 706. A plurality of exemplarydynamic cushioning curves 810 are provided in FIGS. 23 a-23 n.Typically, many more cushioning curves 810 will exist, however, in thisexample the determined drop height is 30″ and therefore only thecushioning curves 810 having data at drop heights of 30″ are consideredin the subsequent analysis undertaken by the inference engine 706.

A dynamic cushioning curve 810 illustrates how a packaging material (fora particular packaging material configuration) behaves at differentimpact levels. The curves of FIGS. 23 a-23 n were generated by droppinga series of known weights onto a cushioning pad configuration sample(not shown) and measuring the amount of shock the sample allowed to betransferred (i.e., transferred to the part to be packaged). In otherwords, the drop tests simulate the part being dropped from its expecteddrop height (step 806). Each point in the curve represents how muchloading a part of known weight will apply to the cushioning padconfiguration, and how much shock the cushion will allow to betransferred to the product. The inference engine 706 utilizes thefragility data 716 and calculates the static loading data 816 using thepackaged dimension data 714 in the database 704 to evaluate whatcushioning pad configuration is sufficient for each orientation part(since each side of the part may provide a different static loadingvalue).

The cushioning curves of FIGS. 23 a-23 n were developed in the followingexemplary manner. A 10″ by 10″ by 4″ weighted plywood box was utilizedto simulate the part to be packaged and was packed inside a 12″ by 12″by 12″ corrugated container. Various cushioning pad configurations wereplaced in the bottom of the corrugated container and the weightedproduct was then placed on top of the configured cushioning pad. Suchexemplary cushioning pad configuration include a spiral/coilconfiguration which is a length of cushioning material which is coiledinto a spiral shape, a cross configuration which includes two lengths ofcushioning material crossing each other and a star configuration whichincludes a plurality of lengths of cushioning material crossing eachother. In addition, other type configurations and individual pad lengthsare also anticipated as falling within the scope of the presentinvention and dynamic cushioning curves may be generated for each ofthose configurations. Further still, the cushioning conversion materialitself can be modified by using, for example, differing types of paperweight. For example, a three ply paper stock 30/50/30 consists ofoutside sheets consisting of 30 weight paper and a inner sheetconsisting of 50 weight paper, respectively. The product box was thenweighted to simulate the products from one pound (0.01 pounds per squareinch (PSI)) to 30 pounds (0.30 PSI), thus providing data at differentstatic loading values. An accelerometer was attached to the product boxto record the acceleration levels (in G's) for each drop. The corrugatedcontainer was then dropped five times from a height of 30″ (the dropheight) for each simulated product weight. A minimum of five differentproduct weights (static loading) were used to generate each curve (usingknown curve fitting techniques) and the results of the last four dropsfor each product weight were recorded and averaged. The peakaccelerations (G's) versus the static loadings (PSI) were then plottedto generate the dynamic cushioning curves 810.

Using the fragility data 716 within the database 704, each of thecushioning curves 810 are evaluated to see if the cushioning padconfiguration provides sufficient cushioning to absorb the potentialshock for an identified fragility. One exemplary manner of making suchan evaluation is illustrated in FIG. 24 which illustrates a spiral/coilcushioning pad configuration for a 30″ drop height. The fragility data716 within the database 704 indicates, for example, that the part canonly withstand up to 35 G's without incurring damage. Thus, a horizontalline 812 is drawn at 35 G's across the cushioning curve 810. If thecurve 810 passes through or below the horizontal line 812, then it isconfirmed that the cushioning product (the spiral configuration) may nottransfer more shock to the part than the product can withstand undercertain static loading conditions. Then, one or more vertical lines 813are drawn from the point or points 814 where the horizontal fragilitythreshold 812 intersects the cushioning curve 810. The vertical lines813 establish the highest and the lowest static loading values at whichthe cushion pad configuration will provide adequate protection. In theexample of FIG. 24, the static loading values are 0.03 and 0.24,respectively. Note that the static loading is defined as the forceexerted by the part to be packaged on the cushioning pad configurationand is determined by dividing the weight of the part by the surface ofthe side of the part which is engaging the packaging material. Note thatsince products often have different surface areas depending upon theirorientation, their static loadings may also differ depending upon theirorientation. Using the calculated static loading data from the weightand data 712 and the size/shape data 714, the inference engine 706eliminates from further consideration any cushioning pad configurationsthat cannot provide adequate protection for the determined staticloading 816.

The inference engine 706 then uses the data collected from thecushioning conversion curve 810 to calculate the cushion bearing areawhich is the weight of the part divided by the static loading (which inthis case is some value between 0.03 and 0.24). To optimize costs, theinference engine 706 will select configurations which exhibit greaterstatic loading (and thus the lowest cushion bearing area) because lesscushioning product will be adequate for protection and thus reduce thepackaging costs. However, since the present invention allows for acost/packaging optimization preference to be selected, a higher cushionbearing area may be selected using a lower static loading value whichincreases the packaging protection. Note that in FIG. 24, the leastamount of shock is transferred to the part at a static loading of about0.1; therefore an orientation of the part on the spiral configurationwhich produces such a static loading value may be selected by theinference engine 706 if a packaging optimization preference has beenselected.

The task of determining the functional cushioning requirements (step808) further includes considering the impact of compressive creep of thepackaging material using the compressive creep data 722. Compressivecreep is defined as the loss of thickness of the cushioning pad under aconstant loading over a period of time. If the amount of creep is toolarge (in this exemplary embodiment taken to be about 10 percent) theability to properly cushion the part is impaired. The compressive creepdata is uniquely associated with the packaging material and ismaintained in the knowledge base 702. The inference engine 706 comparesthe compressive creep of the cushioning material to a predefined limit818 and if the compressive creep data 722 exceeds the limit 818, thepackaging option using the maximum static loading 816 (and thus theleast amount of packaging material) is eliminated and the cushioningcurves using a lower static loading 816 are maintained.

The packaging system 590 via the expert system 700, and moreparticularly the inference engine 706, also takes into account thetemperature effects in determining the functional cushioningrequirements. The inference engine 706 uses temperature effects data 722which is a function of the packaging material used (in this particularexample, the cushioning pads are made of paper stock). The knowledgebase 702 provides thermal coefficients which characterize the dependenceof the pad's cushioning properties over temperature. If the inferenceengine 706 determines that the thermal coefficient is too large(positive or negative), then the inference engine 706 evaluates thepackage transportation information 720 provided by the operator whichresides in the database 704. The package transportation information 720includes, for example, the shipping destination and the shipping method(e.g., rail or truck). The inference engine 706 then uses the packagetransportation information 720 to eliminate any cushioning curves thatwill not provide adequate protection.

For example, if the packaging location is in Arizona and the destinationlocation is Alaska, and the packaging material has a strong thermalcoefficient such that the material loses its cushioning capability asthe temperature drops and the method of shipment is by truck without anythermal controls, the inference engine 706 will eliminate cushioningoptions that are near the maximum static load limits and requireadjustments to the amount of cushioning material to optimize thepackaging design.

The expert system 700 also considers buckling using the buckling data722 within the database 704 of FIG. 21. Buckling is defined as thenon-uniform compression of the cushioning material. When bucklingoccurs, the energy or shock of an impact is not distributed evenlythroughout the cushioning pad, thus resulting in the potential for agreater amount of shock being transferred to the part. Buckling occursmost often when the shape of the cushions or cushion configuration istoo tall and thin. The inference engine 706 analyzes whether buckling isan issue by evaluating the buckling coefficient 820 of each remainingcushioning pad configuration with respect to the expected static loadingexhibited by the product. The buckling coefficient 820 is a ratio of thearea 822 of the cushioning product configuration and its thickness 824.The inference engine 706 uses the graph data of FIG. 25 which resides inthe knowledge base 702. Since the inference engine 706 knows the staticloading, the engine 706 determines the buckling coefficient 820graphically and then multiples the coefficient by the thickness 824 ofthe cushioning product configuration (which is known) to determine howwide and how long the pad must be to avoid the undesired buckling. Theinference engine 706 then further removes any remaining packagingconfigurations that pose a significant risk of buckling (i.e., thoseconfigurations which fail to provide the minimum desired pad width).

The expert system 700 may further evaluate the impact of vibration usingthe vibration data 722 within the database 704 using data such as thatshown in FIGS. 26 a and 26 b.

As illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 22, the inference engine 706 uses thedata within the database 704 along with rules and data within theknowledge base 702 to draw conclusions regarding which packagingmethodologies are acceptable and which are not. After determining thefunctional cushioning requirements at step 808, a variety of packagingoptions will most likely still exist and the inference engine 706 willneed to apply additional rules to further focus upon a single solution.For example, the number of available containers at step 802 may befurther reduced by determining whether each of the remaining containersavailable could facilitate the remaining packaging options.

In addition, the inference engines 706 uses the optimization preferencedata 724 of FIG. 21 to select a smaller subset of packaging methods thateither provide optimized packaging security (i.e., a minimal amount ofdamage uncertainty) or optimized cost (i.e., the methods using the leastamount of packaging materials while providing an acceptable amount ofdamage uncertainty). If an optimization preference is not provided, theexpert system 700 of the present invention selects an optimized costpreference as a default. In addition, other rules may also be used toselect the best remaining packaging solution. For example, the inferenceengine 706 may select the packaging methodology that will result in theleast amount of wear on the cushioning conversion machine (e.g., whichresults in the fewest number of packaging material generation steps) orthe method that requires the least amount of effort by the operator inexecuting the packaging method. Other rules may also be utilized and arecontemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes anexpert system 700, other types of intelligent systems may alternativelybe utilized and are contemplated as falling within the scope of thepresent invention. For example, the expert system 700 may be replacedwith a neural network type intelligent system. A neural network is aninformation system that recognizes objects or patterns based on examplesthat have been used to train the neural network. Each training exampleis described in terms of a number of characteristics, each of which areinput into a separate neuron or “node”. The neural network then combinesthese inputs in a way that distinguishes between different objectsincluded in the training examples. The neural network performsidentification and discriminates between various available packagingmethodologies by assigning numerical weights to many characteristics.Thus, neural networks may operate well even when some information ismissing.

Thus according to the alternative embodiment, the neural network istrained, wherein an expert packer designs optimum packagingmethodologies while internally applying many of the expert rulesdiscussed above in conjunction with the expert system 700. The expertpacker therefore communicates a number of system inputs to the neuralnetwork which represent the characteristics of the part to be packagedand provides the neural network the proper output (the resultingoptimized packaging methodology) for the given inputs. The neuralnetwork then successively updates its numerical weights at its variousnodes to more closely approximate the proper output for the providedinput. After a significant amount of training, the neural networkprovides a function of determining the appropriate packaginginstructions, but in a manner which is different than the expert system.The neural network system does not use defined rules (e.g., if-thenrules) to generate conclusions, but the neural network blindly acts onthe provided inputs to generate (“determine”) an optimized packagingmethodology.

In addition, an inventory monitoring system may be included with thepackaging system 590 of FIG. 16 a. The inventory monitoring system mayoperate in a manner similar to the inventory monitoring system of FIG.12, for example. As each operator provides a part to be packaged andproceeds with packaging, the inventory monitoring system accounts forthe consumption of the various packaging materials utilized in thepackaging process by updating a packaging materials list. The inventorymonitoring system then compares the packaging materials list with one ormore appropriate re-order thresholds and automatically generates are-order request using the CPU 50 to replenish the depleted inventoriesin a timely manner.

As discussed above, the packaging system 590 of FIG. 16 a determines anoptimized packaging methodology for a part to be packaged. The optimizedpackaging methodology includes a set of packaging instructions whichserve as control signals to the cushioning conversion machine 12 andexplanation instructions to the operator via the display 18 c. Inaddition to the control signals to control the operation of thecushioning conversion machine 12, the determining packaging methodologymay also include cushioning material manipulation control instructionssimilar to those discussed earlier in conjunction with FIGS. 8-10 c. Themanipulation control signals may be used to activate and control eithera coiler 250 or an automated insertion device such as a pick-and-placesystem 302 as may be dictated by the determined optimized packagingmethodology.

In the description of the above preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, a cushioning conversion machine 12 was disclosed. Thepackaging system 590 of the present invention, however, may also beutilized in conjunction with other types of packaging materialgenerators such as loose fill packaging material generators anddispensers, bubble wrap, air pillow generators and dispensers, shreddedmaterial generators, and pulp molded generators and dispensers. It isunderstood that any form of packaging material generator may beincorporated into the packaging system and is contemplated as fallingwithin the scope of the present invention.

In addition, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, thedetermined packaging instructions are utilized to provide automatedcontrol of the packaging material generator 12. Alternatively, thepresent invention may transmit the determined packaging instructionssolely to the user or operator who then uses the instructions tomanually control the packaging material generator 12.

In the previous embodiments of the present invention highlighted above,the packaging systems primarily addressed the packaging of a singlepart. For example, for a single known part to be packaged, the packagingsystem retrieves a pre-determined set of packaging instructionsassociated with the part which is used to generate appropriate amountsof packaging material. In addition, for an unknown part to be packaged,the packaging system identifies one or more characteristics whichcharacterize the part. Using the characteristics and an expert systemhaving a knowledge base, the packaging system determines the packaginginstructions and uses the determined instructions to control thepackaging material generator.

According to another alternative embodiment of the present invention, apackaging system is used to package together a plurality of known parts.The packaging system identifies the parts to be packaged and retrievesdata associated with the parts from a database. Using the data and anexpert system having a knowledge base, the packaging system determinesthe packaging instructions which represent an optimized packagingmethodology for packaging the plurality of parts.

According to the alternative embodiment of the present invention, thepackaging system is utilized, for example, in conjunction with amail-order company or a warehouse distribution facility. A shippingorder is created by a customer requesting a plurality of items (i.e.,parts). A warehouse management system arranges the shipping order tofacilitate an efficient retrieval of the various items. When theretrieved items arrive at a packaging station, the packer implements apick list verification in which a check occurs to ensure that all theretrieved items match with items on the shipping order. Preferably, atote in which the items are retrieved contains a bar code which reflectsthe shipping order. The packer, using a bar code reader, reads the totebar code and a bar code on each of the retrieved items to verify thateach item on the shipping order has been properly retrieved.

Once the pick list verification step is complete, the packaging systemuses the shipping order to retrieve data associated with each of theitems in the shipping order, such as the weight, size, shape andfragility of each of the items.

The shipping order itself also contains additional data which may beused by the packaging system such as the shipping destination and themethod of shipment. The packaging system then applies the retrieved datato a set of rules and packaging material data in an expert systemknowledge base to determine packaging instructions which represent anoptimized or preferred packaging methodology for the plurality of parts.

Note that the expert system of the present invention may use the datasuch as the parts' size, shape, weight and fragility in determining theoptimized or preferred packaging methodology. In addition, the expertsystem may use additional information such as the cushioning propertiesof the various parts to determine the appropriate orientation of thevarious parts with respect to one another within the packagingcontainer. Thus, according to the present invention the expert systemuses or considers the cushioning properties of the parts themselvesalong with the cushioning properties of the packaging material indetermining the packaging methodology.

The packaging system then uses the determined packaging instructions tocontrol the packaging material generator (e.g., the cushioningconversion machine) and thereby produce appropriate lengths of packagingmaterial in the proper sequence to effectuate the optimized packagingmethodology. The packaging system also uses the packaging instructionsto provide graphical and/or textual guidance to the packer via a displayto aid in the proper packaging of the various items. For example, thedisplay will illustrate the order of packaging of the various items andtheir proper orientation in the specified container along with the waythe generated packaging material is to be used, thus making thepackaging process simple and clear.

Once packaging of the items into the proper container is complete, thecontainer is weighed and compared to an expected weight which includesthe expected weight of the parts, the container and the packagingmaterial. If the measured weight is outside a pre-selected tolerance, awarning message is provided to the packer which allows the packer toevaluate the situation and make a judgement as to whether an error inthe packaging process has occurred. If acceptable, the container issealed using, for example, packaging tape and the packaging systemprints out a mailing label in accordance with the destination datasupplied on the shipping order and prints out a bill-of-lading whichcontains information which identifies, for example, the shipper, theship to address, the number of containers in the shipping order, and thetotal weight of the shipment. The packaging system also sends thebill-of-lading data to a manifest system.

According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, theparts to be packaged are placed directly into the container selected bythe packaging system. In the alternative embodiment, the determinedpackaging methodology determines the order of the pick list and thepackaging material generator generates (in advance) all the packagingmaterial needed to package the parts. The packer then takes thegenerated packaging material and the selected container along the pickroute (using, for example, a cart) and, after selecting a part accordingto the pick list, packages the part in the container using one or moreof the pieces of generated packaging material. In the above manner, thepackaging process is made more efficient by eliminating the step ofplacing the parts into the tote and subsequently removing the items fromthe tote and packaging them in the selected container.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, thepackaging system is portable (e.g., on wheels or on a portable cart).The packaging system determines the packaging methodology and thusdictates the order of the pick list. The packaging system produces theappropriate amount of packaging material at the location for the pickingof the appropriate part along the pick list route. The packer then usesthe packaging instructions provided by the output peripheral to thenpackage the part in the selected container. In the above manner, thepackaging material is provided when needed and the part is selected andimmediately packaged without being placed into an intermediate tote.

The packaging system includes an inventory management system whichaccounts for the receipt of material into inventory and accounts forinventory consumption by updating a packaging materials list. Theinventory management system compares the updated packaging materialslist to one or more re-order thresholds. If any of the re-orderthresholds are satisfied, the packaging system generates a re-orderrequest directed toward the depleted item to ensure that inventories arereplenished in a timely manner. Alternatively, the system mayperiodically check the inventory and re-order at predetermined times.

The packaging system of the present invention also includes aproductivity monitoring system which collects and summarizes variousproductivity statistics. For example, the productivity monitoring systemcollects data for various productivity criteria such as, but not limitedto, the number of orders packed, the number of items packed, the totalweight packed, the average time per order and the average amount ofpackaging material generated per order. In addition, various time framesof data may be collected and additional processing may be employed tonormalize various productivity criteria, provide trending analysis, etc.

Turning now to FIG. 27, an operational flow diagram of the packagingsystem 900 according to the present invention is illustrated. The system900 includes a packaging system controller 901 operationally coupled(preferably via an electronic data link) to a warehouse managementsystem 902. The packaging system controller 901 transmits a tote barcode number 903 (or RF tag reader) which represents a shipping order tothe warehouse management system 902 when a packer 904 receives aretrieved number of items to be packaged. The license plate is read fromthe tote and the shipping order is determined from the license plateusing a look up table, for example. The tote contains the retrieveditems and the license plate is read with a bar code scanner or reader906, however, any type of reading device is contemplated by the presentinvention. The warehouse management system 902, in response to receivingthe tote bar code 903, provides the packaging system controller 901 withorder information 907 which includes a list of the parts in the shippingorder and information relating to each item such as the weight, size,shape and fragility of the item. Using the information 907 provided bythe warehouse management system 902, the packaging system controller 901determines packaging instructions 908 which represent an optimizedpackaging methodology.

The packaging instructions determined by the packaging system controller901 have several components. Some of the packaging instructions 908 aare provided to the packer 904 as graphical/textual instructions whichillustrate how to use the generated packaging material to properlypackage the various items. The packaging instructions 908 also includeinstructions 908 b identifying the size and quantity of the specifiedpackaging containers and are transmitted to a carton erector 909 forconstruction of the specified containers. The packaging instructions 908are also communicated to the packaging material generator 12 (e.g., thecushioning and conversion machine) as control signals 908 c whichdictate the number and length of cushioning pads to produce as well astheir sequence of generation. The instructions 908 also include thespecification of the necessary tape length 908 d to a tape sealer 910,instructions 908 e for generation of a shipping label to the labelprinter 18 b, and instructions 908 f for generation of a bill-of-ladingto the printer 18 b. Lastly, the packaging system controller 901 sendsthe bill-of-lading data to a manifest system 912 and monitors inventoryconsumption. If any inventories drop below a predetermined threshold,the packaging system controller 901 transmits a re-order request 913 toa distributor via a communication link 914 such as an EDI value addednetwork.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the manifestsystem 912 may be used to keep track of the destination of the packagedparts for tax or other purposes. For example, in certain Europeancountries some tax provisions exist which relate to taxes on wastematerials. The manifest system 912 records the destination of thepackage (container) and the amount of packaging material used inpackaging the parts so that such information may be efficiently used,for example, for compliance with the appropriate tax provisions.

A block diagram of the packaging system 900 is illustrated in FIG. 28.The packaging system 900 includes the packaging system controller 901coupled to the warehouse management system 902 and the packagingmaterial generator 12. In addition, an output peripheral 18 is coupledto the controller 901 and may include one or more of a postage meter 18a, a printer 18 b and a display 18 c and an input peripheral 20 mayinclude a keyboard/mouse 20 c and a bar code reader 20 d. Otherinput/output peripherals may be included and are contemplated by thepresent invention.

A method 1000 of packaging a plurality of items in one or morecontainers according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 29.When a tote containing a plurality of items to be packaged is receivedat the packaging station, the packer reads an order number associatedwith the items at step 1002 using, for example, the bar code reader 20b. The packaging system controller 901 of FIG. 28 then uses the ordernumber at step 1004 to access the warehouse management system whichcontains a database containing all the items in the warehouse as well asvarious pieces of data associated with the items such as the number ofitems in inventory 1006, the size, shape and weight of the item 1008 andthe item's fragility 1010.

The packaging system controller 901 then uses the data (e.g., data 1008and 1010) along with, for example, shipping destination data from theshipping order to determine packaging instructions which result in anoptimized packaging control methodology at step 1012. Once the packaginginstructions have been determined, the packaging system controller 901uses the packaging instructions to control the packaging materialgenerator 12 at step 1014 and provides instructions to the packer 904via the display 18 c at step 1016.

The step of reading the order number (step 1002 of FIG. 29) isillustrated in greater detail in FIG. 30. The process begins at step1020 when the warehouse facility receives an order for a variety ofitems and the warehouse management system 902 assigns an order number tothe order. The order is then arranged at step 1022 by the warehousemanagement system 902 to optimize the retrieval of the various items inthe shipping order. A large warehouse has many items located in various,diverse areas in the warehouse. To minimize the amount of backtracking,etc., the warehouse management system 902 contains location data foreach of the items and uses the data to arrange the items on the shippingform to generate and optimize a pick list which minimizes the timerequired to retrieve the various items. The various items correspondingto the arranged pick list are then retrieved at step 1024 and brought tothe packaging station at step 1026.

The pick list generated by the warehouse management system 902 is thenverified in the following exemplary manner at step 1028. A bar codereader 20 d reads the order number (or license plate number) from thebar code 903 on the tote which contains the retrieved items. The packerthen reads the bar code of each of the retrieved item and matches themwith the items on the shipping order using the CPU 50 of the packagingsystem controller 901. If a match is not found, or if an item ismissing, the CPU 50 or warehouse management system 902 generates awarning message which is provided to the packer on the display 18 c.Once the pick list is verified at step 1028, the packaging systemcontroller 901 sends the order number back to the warehouse managementsystem 902 at step 1030 with a request to retrieve all the data residingin the warehouse management system database that relates to the parts onthe shipping order. Such data includes, but is not limited to, theweight, size, shape and fragility of the items.

The step of determining the packaging instructions (step 1012 of FIG.29) is preferably provided in the same manner to the steps illustratedin FIGS. 20-26 b, wherein an expert system uses a knowledge base anddata relating to the packaging material and the parts to be packaged todetermined an optimized packaging solution. In addition, alternativeintelligent type systems may be utilized, such as binary decision trees,fuzzy logic and a trained neural network.

The packaging system 900 of FIG. 28 of the present invention mayalternatively, or in addition to the use of if-then rules, incorporatecubing rules in the knowledge base. Generally, using the cubing concept,the packaging system controller 901 ascertains the cubic volume of eachitem will occupy when properly packaged. The expert system then utilizesthe various cubic volumes to determine their location and orientationwithin a selected packaging container to maximize the packagingefficiency and thus reduce the need for void fill and extra boxes. Oneexemplary method for implementing such an optimized cubing concept istaught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,831 entitled “Method of PackingRectangular Objects in a Rectangular Area or Space by Determination ofFree Subareas or Subspaces”, which is hereby incorporated by reference.The manner in which various cubes (i.e., parallelepiped volumes) arearranged in different ways to maximize the packaging efficiency isillustrated in FIGS. 31 a-31 d. In addition, cubing optimizationproducts are commercially available such as OPTIPAK™ by AdvancedLogistics Systems, Inc., Roche Harbor Wash. 98250. Such a cubing productmay be incorporated into the packaging system controller 901. Thereforein the above manner the packaging system utilizes the parts data fromthe warehouse management system 902 and determines the packaginginstructions that represent an optimized packaging methodology.

FIG. 32 is a functional block diagram illustrating additional packagingsystem functions. After using the determined instructions to control thepackaging material generator (step 1014 of FIG. 29), the packagingsystem controller 901, using data from the shipping order prints ashipping label at step 1100 using the printer 18 b of FIG. 28. Likewise,the packaging system controller 901 uses the shipping order data toprint out a bill-of-lading at step 1102 using the printer 18 b. Usingthe shipping destination and the expected weight as dictated by thedetermined packaging instructions, the packaging system controller 901also generates the proper postage using the postage meter 18 a of FIG.28 at step 1104. The packaging system controller 901 also generatesproduction statistics and performs inventory control at steps 1106 and1108, respectively.

The inventory control of step 1108 is similar to the inventory controlof FIGS. 11 and 12 and may be performed for each packaging stationindividually or centrally for all the packaging stations throughcommunication of inventory consumption data from each packaging systemcontroller 901 to the warehouse management system 902. Similarly, thepackaging system 900 may provide productivity monitoring as illustratedpreviously in FIG. 13 and which is briefly summarized in FIG. 33. Thegeneration of production statistics (step 1106) includes the counting ofthe number of order packed per unit time at step 1120 and the countingof the items packed per unit time at step 1122. In addition, thepackaging system controller 901 also monitors the total weight of itemspacked at step 1124 and calculates the average time required to completean order and the average amount of packaging material consumed per orderat steps 1126 and 1128, respectively.

The present invention provides for the effective and efficient packagingof parts. Since the packaging system provides packaging instructions forone or more parts, an inexperienced packer may efficiently package theone or more parts without wasting packaging materials, thus providingcost savings of about 25-50%.

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect tocertain preferred embodiments, it is obvious that equivalent alterationsand modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon thereading and understanding of this specification and the annexeddrawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by theabove described components, the terms (including a reference to a“means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond,unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs thespecified function of the described component (i.e., that isfunctionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to thedisclosed structure which performs the function in the hereinillustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. In addition, while aparticular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respectto only one of the several embodiments, such feature may be combinedwith one or more other features of the other embodiments as may bedesired and advantageous for any given or particular application.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method of packaging parts, comprising thesteps of: identifying a part to be packaged; retrieving packaginginstructions associated with the part to be packaged; and controlling apackaging material dispenser using the packaging instructions; whereinthe step of retrieving packaging instructions includes identifying botha container and a quantity of dunnage to dispense.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the step of identifying a part to be packaged includesat least one of entering a part number using a keyboard associated witha computer, reading a bar code representing a part number using a barcode reader, identifying a part number from a parts menu on a computer,and identifying a part number using optical character recognition orvideo pattern recognition.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step ofidentifying a part to be packaged comprises the steps of: inputting apart number associated with the part to a computer; and matching thepart number with a corresponding part number in a computer memory. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein the step of retrieving the packaginginstructions includes the step of accessing a particular set ofpackaging instructions from a plurality of packaging instructions storedin a memory.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrievingthe packaging instructions associated with the part includes the step ofaccessing a particular set of packaging instructions from a plurality ofpackaging instructions stored in a memory.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the step of controlling the packaging material dispenserincludes the step of instructing a packaging material generator toconvert a stock material into a quantity of packaging material.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, comprising the step of identifying a packagingcontainer.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of retrievingpackaging instructions associated with the part includes the steps ofidentifying a void volume of the packaging container when the packagingcontainer is empty, identifying the volume of the part to be packaged,determining the void volume in the container from the empty volume ofthe container and the volume of the part to be packaged, and determininga quantity of packaging material to dispense to the container based onthe void volume and the density of the packaging material.
 9. The methodof claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving packaging instructionsincludes at least one of generating one or more units of packagingmaterial in a predetermined order based on the identified part, and anexplanation regarding how to utilize the container or the one or moreunits of packaging material in a predetermined manner for the identifiedpart.
 10. A method of packaging parts, comprising the steps of:identifying a part to be packaged; retrieving packaging instructionsassociated with the part to be packaged; and controlling a packagingmaterial dispenser using the packaging instructions; wherein the step ofcontrolling the packaging material dispenser includes the steps of:dictating a quantity of one or more pieces of packaging material; anddictating an order in which the one or more pieces of packaging materialare produced.